Live and Let Die
by Buffelyn
Summary: Rick and Evy make plans for the future (mushy romance!) but Imhotep isn't ready to die just yet (horror and suspense!) Chapter 14 up, FIN:) Thanks to all who reviewed:)
1. Knowing

Rated: PG-13 for mild swearing and suggestiveness, plus a healthy dose of action adventure violence:)

Summary: Although it may take a while (I like mushy romantic stuff so we'll spend a few chapters on that), Imhotep shows up in Cairo and wrecks havoc on everyone's favorite cast of heroes. I introduce a nasty new villain, explain a little about Rick and Evy's lives before they met, and have a merry old time. Please read, and be nice, people! 

Disclaimer: If I owned Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan, Ardeth (don't worry, he'll show up eventually), Dr. Bey, or even Bob, that would mean I was Stephen Sommers. Since I am neither a millionaire nor a genius, I cannot make this claim. However, all the other characters do belong to me, thankyouverymuch.

CHAPTER 1

Knowing

She had fallen asleep a few hours into the journey. The heat from her body kept him warm as the cold desert night descended around their little caravan. Every few minutes he would look down at her and marvel once again at what an amazing woman she was. They were so lucky that she was alive, for that matter, that they were all alive. He shuddered to think what might have happened if they hadn't been in time...mere moments and she might have been lost to him forever. 

His shivering woke her and she mumbled sleepily into his shirt, "Where am I?" 

"In the middle of bloody nowhere," came a voice from behind them. "Can't we camp yet?" he whined, like a little fly buzzing in Rick's ear. He supposed he should be nicer to Jonathan, after all, if things went the way he hoped...now where had that come from? 

"I guess so," he said, shaking it off. He lowered the still groggy Evelyn down off the camel and set about searching for a blanket, something, anything they could sleep on. He was just about to check the rear pack when Jonathan announced he'd found some throws. 

They spread them on the ground between the camels, with Evelyn in between him and Jonathan. Exhausted, she fell back asleep almost immediately. She shivered slightly in her insubstantial nightgown, but there was nothing to put over her. Rick tentatively placed his arm around her and she snuggled into his warmth, resting her hand on his chest and nestling her head into his shoulder. In the bright moonlight she looked almost angelic, even with her tangled hair and dirty face. She was beautiful, there was simply no other word for it. 

And he was in love. He'd known it the moment he'd been ready to fight a crowd of diseased fanatics with his bare hands to get her back. He'd known it when his heart had torn in two at the sight of her taking Imhotep's hand and walking away. He'd have done anything, just to keep her safe. He'd have fought a 3,000 year old walking, talking, immortal corpse to his death if it meant she could escape. He almost had. Falling asleep with his arms around his love, he was the happiest he could ever remember being. It was in this moment he realized that he would never let her go. He couldn't. 

Evelyn opened her eyes again and took in her surroundings. The night sky stretched above her, the stars twinkling down at her like they shared some private joke. Night was when she liked the desert best. It was so peaceful, so calm. She still wore only her nightgown, so why wasn't she cold? In an instant it all came rushing back as she realized that she was in Rick's arms. He was asleep. So handsome with the moonlight shining down on his tired features...but this wasn't proper. She should get up and move...but somehow she couldn't bring herself to wrench herself from his embrace. She snuggled into him once more and closed her eyes. Who would know? Jonathan was somewhere nearby, but his opinion on such matters was not of much consequence to Evy. 

Whose opinion mattered to her at the moment was Rick's. What if he didn't feel the same way about her as she felt about him? What if it was all a dream, and he was gone when morning came? Or when they got back to Cairo? What would happen then? Questions swirled around Evy's head and filled her mind with doubt. And what kind of a person was he, anyway? They didn't know each other at all. Sure, he was kind, brave, handsome...but he was also impulsive, reckless, and maybe a criminal. They only really knew that they loved each other...and with a flash Evy knew that was all that mattered. He had risked everything for her, and she knew he would all over again. Her mind quieted as she looked at his face and fell in love with him all over again. 

Rick opened his eyes and found Evy staring at him. "Hey," he mumbled, as she blushed and tried to pretend she was actually asleep. "I saw you," he teased. 

"Hi," she whispered. "Sleep well?"

"Exceptionally," he grinned. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Just tired."

"I should think so. Everything else all right?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "Why?"

"I just thought...you went through a lot today-"  
"Honestly, O'Connell, I'm fine. I'm tougher than I look."

He smiled and her heart melted again. "I know. And you can call me Rick."

"Sorry. Rick," she said, testing the name. She liked how it sounded. Rick O'Connell. Come to think of it, Evelyn O'Connell didn't have a bad ring to it, either. No, she had to stop thinking like that. Who knew what Rick felt for her? Evy felt the doubts rising again. 

"Evelyn?"

"What?" 

"You spaced off for a minute there."

"Sorry."

"What were you thinking about?"

She hesitated. "Nothing important."

Rick raised his eyebrows. "You sure?"

Evy's doubts were quieted for the moment. She didn't like the thought of hiding things from him. "I was just thinking about...what's going to happen when we get back to Cairo."

She could feel his muscles tense. Why had she brought it up? She'd ruined everything! 

"Evelyn..." Rick trailed off. He didn't know what to say. What did she want him to say? He'd probably say the wrong thing and ruin everything. 

"I mean, the library's probably still a mess, I don't even know if I still have a job! And they'll have to find a new curator-" she rambled. 

"That's not what you meant."

Evelyn paused at his ability to read her so well. "No, I suppose it's not."

Rick was silent for a few moments. Evy was about to start babbling again when he looked straight into her shining eyes and said, "Evelyn, all I know is that I love you. And I'll never let you go. I don't think I could live without you. I don't want to try." 

Evy was speechless. Could it be true? Had she heard the words correctly? Her heart felt as if it might burst from joy. "I love you, too, Rick," she whispered. "I was so afraid that I'd never get to tell you. I was so afraid you wouldn't- that you wouldn't feel the same way."

Rick smiled. "What does a guy have to do to impress you?" he said jokingly. 

"Oh, I didn't mean-"

She never finished the sentence. As soon as his mouth touched hers she couldn't even remember her own name, let alone continue her previous train of thoughts. 


	2. Thinking

This one's really short, but it introduces the intrigue I promised. Keep reading, it gets more interesting!...

CHAPTER 2

Thinking

Three days later they arrived in Cairo, tired, dirty, and utterly glad to be alive. It was almost midnight when they got to the Fort. Rick helped Evelyn down from the camel and she almost collapsed from exhaustion. Thankfully, he caught her before she hit the ground. She would be all right, he told himself. She just needed sleep and real food. He and Jonathan tied the camels up and began to climb the stairs. As an afterthought, Rick sent Jonathan back for the rucksacks. He'd lost all of his belongings, and whosever camel it had once been probably wasn't going to mind donating whatever spare blanket or tool they had long ago packed in them. 

This sent his mind reeling with new worries. He didn't have anything. What could he offer Evelyn? He was nearly broke, he had no job, no security. He'd never been anything (well, anything legitimate) besides a soldier. What kind of life did a soldier's wife enjoy? What kind of life did Evy want? 

Rick laid Evelyn down on her bed and drew up the covers around her. He pulled a chair up to the bedside and just sat there watching her sleep, thinking. What if she didn't like what he had to offer? What if she decided she didn't want him? Didn't love him? He'd do anything for her, she had to know that. But what if it wasn't enough? 

Evelyn felt re-energized after a good night's sleep in a real bed. It was the first time in weeks she'd slept clear through the night. She tiptoed past Rick, still sleeping in a chair, and went to the ladies' room. She had to stifle a slight yelp when she saw herself in the mirror. A rat's nest of hair, sand everywhere, her eyes bloodshot and ringed with dark circles. Normally she wouldn't have really cared about her appearance, but...after washing up she put on her nicest dress and looked at herself again. No, her nicest dress would not do. It was pretty much the same as all the others. She'd have to go shopping first thing. 

But before that, she had to face the Museum of Antiquities. Who knows what damage had been caused by the rabid crowd of Imhotep enthusiasts? Not to mention her own little disaster before the whole adventure had even started. She wondered if they had hired a new curator yet. Dr. Bey would be hard to replace. 

Evelyn tip-toed past Rick once again and made her way out of the fort into the bright sunlight. The damage done by the plagues was still being repaired. All around her people were hammering boards over windows and sweeping away debris. She wondered what they thought had gone on here. 

After she'd stopped on the way to get some breakfast, Evelyn squared her shoulders and walked into the Museum, trying to look sure of herself. By the time she actually found someone in the deserted corridors she'd lost most of her confidence and jumped when Bob, the kindly old janitor, walked around a corner toward her. 

"Miss Carnahan, how lovely to see you," Bob said softly. "How was the dig, my dear?" 

Evelyn smiled as she took Bob's arm. She liked him; he was what she thought a grandfather should be. She'd never had any grandparents, and her parents had been gone for almost three years now, so she had latched onto him as a sort of father figure, a willing ear for all her troubles. "It was fine, Bob," she answered. "I was so sorry to hear about Dr. Bey." She didn't like lying to him, but she figured in this instance it was better than the truth. 

"Yes, it was very sad news. Whatever he was thinking, being out on the streets at that time of night..." Bob clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Mr. Behr says the new curator he's hired should be in this morning. Apparently he's quite an authority on Egyptian culture. He's English, you know."

"Oh, really? Do you recall his name?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't. From what I've heard, though, dear, I'm sure you two will hit it off just splendidly." 

Evelyn rolled her eyes. Bob had once attempted to set her up with his assistant, and if Mohammad was any indication Bob did not have the best taste in men. Besides, she was already spoken for...sort of. Was she? What were Rick's intentions, anyway?   
"Evelyn, dear?" 

"What? Oh, sorry, Bob. I seem to be daydreaming a lot lately." 

At least the dreams were better than the nightmares. 


	3. Waking

And the plot thickens...

CHAPTER 3

Waking

When Rick awoke Evy was gone, and he had a crimp in his neck from sleeping in a chair. He'd have to rent a room, and he needed clothes, and food. He still had a few hundred dollars from the Americans, and the little money he'd had when they'd started out for Hamunaptra, which wasn't much. He'd had some when he'd entered Cairo Prison, but God knew he'd never see that again. His wallet had been in his jacket, and he was not exactly keen on diving to the bottom of the Nile to retrieve it. A guy in Marrakech owed him some money, but he was not about to travel all the way across the continent to collect it. What would he do? 

He'd find a way. He had to. 

The first thing Evy thought when Daniel Miller walked into the library was that she didn't like him. At that point she didn't even know his name, but there was just something in the way he walked that made her wary of him. 

"Evelyn Carnahan, meet our new curator, Dr. Daniel Miller. He's on the Benbridge board," Mr. Behr said. "Miss Carnahan is our librarian. We were very lucky that we were able to get Dr. Miller on such sort notice, Evelyn, so I trust there won't be any more little..._accidents_ on your part, hmm?" Come to think of it, she didn't like Mr. Behr so much either. 

"Of course," she smiled through her teeth. "Pleased to meet you, Dr. Miller." 

"Charmed," he replied, grasping her hand and bringing it up to kiss it. "Your father was a great treasure in our field. His loss saddened us all."

She pulled her hand away before it met his lips. "Thank you for your condolences, Mr. Miller, but my parents passed away over three years ago."

"Ah yes, your mother was quite the treasure, too. Like mother, like daughter, hmm?" He smiled his greasy smile and she recoiled even more. Now she _knew_ she didn't like him! 

"Well, Dr. Miller, we should be getting along," said Mr. Behr. "I trust you'll want to go through your predecessor's papers before you settle into the office?"  
"Of course." He was still staring at her! She didn't mind when Rick looked at her, but this man was absolutely nauseating. He radiated oily charm and genteel mannerisms, but Evy had a feeling his true nature ran much darker. 

As they left the library Evy had another, even more unsettling thought--Dr. Bey's papers! He couldn't possibly have anything on Hamunaptra or the Medjai...no, he wouldn't have been that foolish. 

Rick entered Jonathan's room through the partially open door and almost tripped over the saddle bags. They were empty. That was strange. Rick remembered them as being fairly heavy. He wouldn't have thought Jonathan would have unpacked them already. Rick found him passed out in the bathtub, one hand clutching a bottle of scotch, and in the other hand, a golden scepter topped by a little star. Rick could have sworn he'd seen it somewhere before. 

Rick turned on the showerhead and Jonathan leapt up, spraying water and scotch everywhere. He sputtered a bunch of unintelligible curses and then just stood there, staring at Rick, a slightly sheepish expression on his face. "What?" he said, taking another swig from the bottle. 

Rick snatched it out of his hands and turned off the water. "Jonathan, you should know better. Getting drunk is not the way to solve all your problems."

"Obviously you haven't known me for very long, then," Jonathan replied. "Besides, I don't have problems! I'm rich!"

"Uh-huh. You're also hung-over. Get out of there."

"Well, yes, but really! My head's still a bit foggy, but I remember loads and loads of gold! It was here, I had it, I..." Jonathan looked around his room helplessly. "I could have sworn there was gold."

"Yep."

"Really!" Jonathan protested. "I-look!" He waved the scepter in Rick's face. "Look at this! I'm telling the truth!"

"You probably won it in some card game! Or stole it," he said with a dark look. 

"I wouldn't put that past myself, but I'm pretty sure I haven't left this room since we got back from..." Jonathan's face fell. "...from Hamunaptra," he finished softly. His hand immediately went to his shoulder. 

"You need to go to the doctor and get that looked at," Rick said, more gently. 

"Yeah, and what about yourself? You were pretty beat up, too. How's your hand?"

"It's fine. You need to get some sleep."

"You come here just to tell me that?"

"Just checking up on you. Evy would kill you if she found you like this."

"She's used to it."

"I don't doubt it."

"You know..." Jonathan started. "Never mind." 

"What?"

"It's just...I don't know. I was just going to say that...I'm happy for you two. And I'd say I'll kill you if you ever hurt her but I know you'd mop the floor with me." 

"I'd kill myself."

"I know." 

Evy had hidden in the library all morning for fear of running across Dr. Miller. Not that she didn't have plenty to do there. The workers had succeeded in getting about half of the shelves upright, but everything was still scattered all over the floor, and she didn't even know how to begin to clean it all up. She'd started somewhere in the vicinity of the D's, but they were all mixed in with H's and L's and M's. After about four hours of sorting through the heaps, she pulled out a book named _Thuthmoses_ and burst into tears. 

"What's wrong?"

The tears dried up immediately. "Rick!" she cried. "What are you doing here?" He had cleaned up nicely. He looked even more handsome than when she'd seen him at Giza Port. From the looks of it he'd borrowed Jonathan's jacket, and his arms were a bit long for it, but he was dreamy all the same. 

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go to lunch." She took his hand and pulled him into the tiny corner office she sometimes used so they could talk in private. 

"Oh, dear..." she sighed. "As you can see I've got a bit of a mess to clean up..."

"Did the mob do this?" he asked, perfectly innocently.

"Um, yes, I believe so. I can't imagine how they got in there, we usually keep it locked, and I'm surprised nobody got crushed..."

Rick flashed that wonderful smile again. "If you had just stopped at 'yes' I might have believed you."

"Am I that transparent?"

"You're not a very good liar."

It was a very unfortunate coincidence that just as he leaned down to kiss her Dr. Daniel Miller entered the office. 

***

Shall I post more??? Please let me know...


	4. Dreaming

First of all, A HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who reviewed!!!

Some quick notes...I am aware of the various spellings of Evy/Evie, and I had been spelling it "Evie" when I thought I saw on the back of the TMR soundtrack spelled "Evy." I don't own that, but you're right Shelby, it is spelled "Evie" on the DVD. But I've grown to like "Evy," so oh well. As for all the other questions...you'll all just have to read on to find the answers, won't you?:)

CHAPTER 4

Dreaming

"Miss Carnahan. Taking a little break from work, I see?"

Evelyn, though reddening, regained her composure quickly and retorted, "There is such a thing as a lunch hour, Dr. Miller." 

"Please," he said through his plastered-on smile. "Call me Daniel." She most certainly would not! "And who is this charming young fellow, then, hmm?"

From Rick's stance Evelyn sensed that he didn't take kindly to Dr. Miller's comments, either. "This is Rick O'Connell, Rick, Dr. Daniel Miller. Dr. Miller is our new curator."

Rick didn't say anything, but Dr. Miller was more than willing to jump into the fray. "Do you work here, then, Mr. O'Donnell?"

"No."

Dr. Miller smirked. "Well, usually we keep these back rooms closed to the public, but if you're a friend of Evelyn's..." 

"I think she'd prefer it if you called her Miss Carnahan, _Doctor_ Miller," said Rick in an equally patronizing tone. How dare he speak for me, Evelyn thought, but then thought it was nice that he was so protective. 

"Um, Dr. Miller, I do have a lot of work to be getting along with, so-"

"Ah, yes, of course. I shall leave you to your 'lunch hour', then. Farewell, Mr.-what was it?"

"O'Connell."

"Of course. Mr. O'Connell, Evelyn, I bid you adieu." 

With that he turned on his heel and exited the room. "Can you believe the nerve of that man?" Evelyn asked in an infuriated whisper. "I can't believe he came so highly recommended. At gunpoint, no doubt. I can't believe he thinks he can just waltz in here and act like-" 

"I don't like the way he looks at you."

Evelyn continued in her tirade. "That's what you notice? He insults you and treats you like-like-well, like something horrible, and all you can say is you don't like the way he looks at _me_? He acts like he's God's gift to Egyptology and..." She trailed off. "I'm sorry. I guess that's rather sweet."

"You think he's sweet?"

"No, silly!" She punched him on the arm. "You're sweet to think of me."

Rick smiled, but his mind was still on other things. "You be careful around him, okay?"

"Of course."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He leaned in but once again they were interrupted by the high pitch of Dr. Miller's voice in the hallway. "Evelyn! Might I have a word with you?"

Rick sighed. "Dinner?"

"That would be lovely." 

With that Rick left and Evy sighed heavily and went to answer Dr. Miller's call. She spent the rest of the afternoon wondering if she could resurrect Imhotep only long enough to curse her new boss with boils and sores, and maybe a plague of locusts. 

Evelyn slipped out of work early under the auspice of a headache and headed toward the boutiques so she could get a nice dress to wear that night. She wondered where they would go for dinner. Maybe he wasn't even thinking about a fancy restaurant, maybe her dress would be too extravagant, maybe he would never show up at all! Evelyn shooed these thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on shopping, something she never particularly enjoyed, but somehow today it seemed less of a hassle. 

As it was, she found three. After fifteen minutes of trying to decide between them, she gave up and bought them all. The one she would wear tonight was a soft sage green, with a delicate lace shawl that wrapped around her shoulders and tied around the neck. Evy fancied that it complemented her eyes somewhat. 

It happened that just down the street Rick was on a mission of a similar nature. He couldn't wear Jonathan's clothes for the rest of his life, and his khakis were looking somewhat...worn. He had a feeling bloodstains didn't exactly spell romance. He'd dragged the sober but miserable Jonathan to the doctor's office to examine the shoulder (only grudgingly allowing his own wounds to be treated as well), then made Jonathan accompany him to the store keep him out of trouble. Rick wondered if Jonathan had taken a blow to the head, too. He wouldn't stop about the damn gold. 

"I'm telling you, O'Connell, I had it. A bloody fortune, enough to last a lifetime."

"Yeah, well with the way you go through liquor it wouldn't have lasted through tomorrow. This blue or this blue?" 

"The light one matches your eyes. I wasn't hallucinating, O'Connell. I'm sure I didn't start drinking until after I found the gold."

"Uh-huh, after you 'found' the gold. Tell me, where did you get this gold exactly?"

Jonathan sulked. "I don't know, but it was there, I swear on the head of my sister!" 

"Hey!"

"Sorry."

"Do you really like these buttons better?"

"Yes, now will you stop about the bloody buttons! You should be worried about who stole my gold!"

"Well, maybe if you wouldn't drink so much you'd have remembered where you got the gold in the first place."

Jonathan scoffed. "You're one to talk, O'Connell! If Evy knew how smashed you were in the casaba she'd-"

Rick shot him a murderous glance and held up two shirts. "Now pay attention. Which one? White or off-white?"

Evy tapped her feet nervously as she waited. Maybe she should've put her hair up. Maybe she should have worn the blue dress. Maybe he was never going to come! Stop it, Evelyn! she told herself. You've got to trust him or this relationship will never work. 

Relationship! The word shocked her out of her worrying. A month ago the farthest thing from her mind had been romance, and now all she could think about was Rick! A man she'd known for less than two weeks! She knew nothing about him! Nothing, except that he loved her. That he'd die to protect her. That he respected her, that he looked straight into her eyes when he spoke to her and truly cared about what she had to say. That his eyes twinkled when he smiled, like two stars sharing some wonderful secret with her, and only her. 

She didn't know how many times he knocked before she snapped back into reality. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. With another quick glance in the mirror she opened the door and came face to face with the man of her nightmares. 

***

Oh, the suspense...Want more? Let me know... [cackles evilly] If you so request it I will try to update every few days...PLEASE keep reviewing:) My muse and I very much appreciate it:)


	5. Dancing

Wow. I love you guys!!! I so much appreciate your comments. And now, just in time for Valentine's Day, a little romance...

CHAPTER 5

Dancing

Screaming. Someone was screaming. It was Evelyn.

Rick flew into the room, followed closely by Jonathan and a couple of people who'd been standing in the hallway. They found her, alone, sitting on the floor, and looking very puzzled. 

After shooing the spectators out, Rick knelt at Evelyn's side and touched her shoulder gently. "Evelyn? Are you okay?"

She didn't answer for a few moments. Then, in a halting voice, she said, "Rick-he was here-why am I on the floor?...we have to leave, we have to get you..." Evelyn suddenly seemed to realize that Rick and Jonathan were in the room. "You...what am I doing on the floor?"

"Were you having a nightmare, Evy?" Jonathan asked. 

Evelyn's mouth opened and closed a few times before she answered. "I guess so." She was thinking hard. "I remember...I remember Imhotep, and he...you fought him, he...I don't remember," she finished lamely. "I just must have fallen asleep. Are you ready to go to dinner?"

Rick wasn't convinced. "Are you sure you're okay? I heard you all the way from the ground floor." 

"I'm fine! It was just a silly dream, honestly!" Evelyn got to her feet with a little unnecessary help from Rick, but she didn't mind the assistance. 

"You're getting to be as bad as your brother," Rick muttered. 

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Jonathan exclaimed, too quickly. "Well, seeing as I have a life of my own, I think I'll leave you two now." He spun around and almost ran from the room, but not before he caught Rick's warning glance. They'd agreed to keep his little hallucinations from Evy, lest she think her brother was crazy as well as a drunk. She didn't need to worry about him more than she already did. 

"Don't go drinking!" Rick and Evy called after him in unison. They looked at each other and fell into a fit of giggles. It felt good to laugh. Neither had had much to laugh about in a very long time. Evy dried her eyes and suddenly had another panic attack--what if she'd smeared her makeup?!? 

"Are you really okay?" Rick asked. "You didn't look so good." 

Evy raised her eyebrows. "You don't like the dress?"

Rick chuckled again. "You know what I meant." 

"I'm fine, really. Trust me, Rick, I'd tell you if something was wrong."

Rick sighed. This conversation obviously wasn't going to go any further. "Okay," he said skeptically. Ready?"

"Yes."

With a furtive glance in the mirror to check her eyes, Evy grabbed her purse and shawl. "By the way," Rick whispered in her ear as they left the room, "You look absolutely gorgeous." 

Evy had a feeling Rick wouldn't tell her if she asked how he knew the owner of the restaurant, so she didn't ask. That was another thing that worried her about Rick--what was in his past? He seemed to have a lot of connections in Cairo. As soon as the waiter seated them at a table in the corner, slightly set apart from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the restaurant, she steeled up her resolve and asked him, "Where did you grow up?" Okay, so she'd lost her nerve at the last moment. 

Rick looked slightly surprised at the question but answered readily. "Cairo, mostly, but I was born in Boston. Haven't been back since I was ten years old." 

"Are your parents...I mean, are they-"

"It's okay, Evy. We were here visiting my sister, she was studying over here..." Rick eyes flickered down to the tablecloth, but then met hers again. "That was, what, seventeen years ago? I'm over it."

Evy smiled. "You're twenty-seven." 

"Last November. Good math."

"Mathematics was never my strong suit," Evy said. "I didn't get very good marks in it."

Rick put on a mock look of shock. "You?! Evelyn Carnahan didn't get good marks in everything?!"

"Stop that!" she swatted him with her napkin. "I'll have you know I wasn't always so...studious."

"Oh, really?" Rick raised his eyebrows. 

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Depends."

"I failed handwriting when I was in the second grade."

Rick burst out laughing. God, he had a wonderful laugh. "You're kidding."

"No, of course not."

"That's your big secret? Your second grade self failed handwriting?" 

"Why is that so funny?"

"I don't know, I was expecting something more...juicy."

"Bad choice of words."

"Sorry." He smiled, but it was pained. They both knew what she was referencing, but still Evy couldn't also help but think that Rick knew what question was coming. Evy was determined to ask it. 

"So what's your big secret?"

"Yours wasn't even a real one!" he protested. 

"Okay, fine. I'm afraid of bunnies."

"You are not!"

"Honest!"

Rick paused, then began, "Evy, you know I would never intentionally keep anything from you-"

The waiter chose that moment to ask if they'd decided yet. What a coincidental choice of words, Evy reflected. She and Rick were still testing the waters with each other--they knew they were in love but they still didn't know with whom quite yet. 

They'd spent dinner mostly talking about nothing. But with each word Evy spoke Rick felt like he knew her that much better, like he was building tiny little bricks up into a pile, making his love grow with every glance, every inference, every touch. And in the next moment he would be plunged into a well of worry, panic, guilt...maybe she was bored with him, maybe she was discovering she didn't like him, or who he used to be, maybe she was falling out of love. Maybe she was never in love in the first place. But then she would look at him again with those huge green eyes, and Rick knew that nothing mattered but what they felt in their hearts. Nothing could change it, nothing could move it. 

"Do you want to dance?"

Evelyn had been going on for some time about the finer points of the Dewey decimal system, and looked a little miffed at the interruption, but readily took Rick's outstretched hand. They walked out onto the crowded dance floor, but every few seconds Evy would catch an elbow in the back or someone would step on Rick's heel. Dancing seemed to be a particularly popular activity that evening. "Come on," Rick said, and pulled Evy out of the crowd and into a shadowy corner. In that corner stood a steep flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs they emerged out on to the roof. It was deserted, but Evy could still hear, quite clearly, the music from the dance floor coming through the kitchen vents. The stars were twinkling brightly in the Cairo night and the moonlight illuminated the cityscape like a mystical fog. 

And so they danced. Time seemed to slow down, but it went by all too quickly. Evy rested her head on Rick's shoulder and let all her worries about the future fade away. Rick rested his chin on Evy's head, breathing her in, registering every movement, every step she took. 

"You're a very good dancer," Evelyn said. 

"Well, I did take a class."

"Really?" Evy could not hide her shock. "_You_ took a dance class?!"

"I did," Rick replied, pretending to be offended. "Although, I was only eight years old," he added, dipping Evelyn so low her hair almost touched the dusty ground. 

Evelyn giggled. Not something she normally did, but she found herself doing it a lot these days. Was that what love was? Giggling like a schoolgirl (not that she'd done much of it back then, either), flitting her eyelashes and looking adoringly up into Rick's face like he'd hung the moon? Evy had never thought she'd buy into such a stereotype, but at moments like this it didn't seem so bad. 

This was partly because he was looking at her the same way. It was almost like a staring contest, Evy thought, and giggled some more. "What?" Rick asked. 

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about...about how much I enjoy being with you."

"How much you enjoy laughing at me?"

"No, I wasn't laughing at you! I was-" Evy realized that Rick was just teasing her. "You big goofball," she said. "Can't you take anything seriously?"

"I take you very seriously."

Evelyn paused. "How seriously?" she asked, almost dreading the answer. But it had to come up sooner or later. 

Rick stopped dancing. He tipped her chin up and met her eyes. "This is crazy, but...Evelyn, believe me when I say I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love anyone, and I've only known you for two weeks-"

"I know," she said, interrupting, but she needed him to know what she felt, too. "I feel the same way."

Rick smiled. "I don't want to rush you or anything, Evy...but I can't help it. Just seeing your face, just wondering when I'll get to kiss you again-" he brushed her lips gently- "wondering where we'll be in twenty years-"

"Twenty years?" Evy asked eagerly. "So then you-you think-"

"Like I said, Evy, I'm content with the present. If you want to get to know each other better first, I understand-"

"Rick, I don't know how, but I _do_ know you. This sounds cheesy, but I feel like I've known you before...I know I have. It's like it's-it's like it's..." she struggled for the right words. 

"Fate?" he supplied, and she nodded slightly. They stood like that in the desert moonlight for a long time. Rick felt his love for Evy grow with each moment, just being in her presence and knowing that she loved him as much as he loved her. He wasn't even nervous. Well, maybe a little bit. He pulled away from Evy's embrace and she looked slightly alarmed that he was leaving, but her eyes lit up as she realized what he was about to do. 

Rick knelt down on one knee and grasped Evy's hands, tightly. "Evy, I don't have...anything, to be honest. I don't even have a ring for you, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay," she whispered. 

"Evelyn," he said, his voice shaking slightly, "will you marry me?"

Rick didn't even finish the sentence before Evelyn broke into a broad grin. She shook her head up and down enthusiastically and cried, "Yes! Yes, of course!" Rick grinned too, and immediately stood and enveloped her in a hug, lifting her slightly off the ground and spinning her around in a whirl. He set her down lightly but still squeezed her tight. "I need a drink," he said, laughing. 

"I love you, Rick. I'm so happy." 

"Likewise," he said, stroking her hair, brushing strands out of her dazzling eyes, memorizing every detail of her radiant face. "I love you, Ev-" 

This time it was he who was interrupted mid-thought, as she pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his. The kiss started slowly, gently, then gradually built, becoming more and more passionate with each passing second as they relaxed, clinging to each other as if they were drowning. Evy could feel Rick's hands caress her face softly and then run his fingers through her hair. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hanging on for dear life, wishing this moment would never end; that they could stay here, locked in each other's arms, forever. 

Of course, experience had taught them both that forever is a very long time. 

And when one has forever to think about one thing, there's a chance they may become somewhat monomaniacal about it. 

Particularly 3,000 year old lovesick priests who aren't about to let a silly little thing like death get in the way of what they want. 

Forever is a very long time, indeed. 

****

Did anyone catch the Buffy reference? I couldn't resist:)

You know the deal...reviews equals me posting chapters faster:) I'm evil, I know:)


	6. Revealing

Once again, I have to thank everyone who reviews...especially MBooker, I really appreciate your comments:) And don't worry, Deana, Ardeth is coming _eventually_...

CHAPTER 6

Revealing

He was dead. 

He was dead, and there was nothing Evy could do about it. She could have saved him, she could have warned him, she could have held him back...could have. She couldn't even see him anymore, her vision was blurring, she felt like she was fainting, he was floating away from her and she didn't even have the strength to reach out to him--

And suddenly, once again, she was back in bed, back at the Fort, completely alone and scared out of her wits. She'd tried not to fall asleep, she really had, but she was so tired...closing her eyes for just a moment wouldn't invite sleep, would it? It wouldn't invite in the dreams that plagued her nights, and increasingly plagued her days. A tear squeezed out of her eye, but she fought it back. What was wrong with her? Why wouldn't the dreams stop? She would have chalked it up to trauma, to stress, but they were becoming so intense...and every time the story would go a little further, it would get a little worse, a little more terrifying...

Rick couldn't sleep. He was tired, sure, exhausted, even, but he couldn't sleep. He was too keyed up. He couldn't believe he'd actually done it--he'd asked her to marry him! And she'd said yes, which was even more thrilling. He felt like he was the luckiest man in the world--he was going to spend the rest of his life with Evelyn, the most amazing, intelligent, beautiful, sexy, kindhearted, stubborn, passionate woman he'd ever met. He'd never thought so many adjectives could describe one person. And if he'd thought saying the five words, "Will you marry me?" had been hard, the one that came at the end of the night, "goodbye," had been a million times worse. He wanted nothing more than for the morning to come, so he could look into her soft green eyes again, run his hand along her cheek. He yearned for the touch of her, even if it was just a fleeting moment. 

A timid knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He climbed out of bed and opened the door, and there she was, shivering, obviously holding back tears, her bathrobe hanging off her shoulder and her hair up in a hasty bun. "What's wrong?" Rick asked, alarmed. She tried to speak but the tears constricted her throat. As Rick tentatively pulled her toward him, the tears let loose and she sobbed into his chest, clutching at his shirt with her shaking fingers and twisting it into knots. Rick stroked her hair, murmuring reassuring words in her ear, but inwardly panicking. What could have possibly prompted Evy to fall so completely apart like this? She was always so in control, so confident. What could have pushed her so over the edge? 

Eventually the sobbing subsided, and Rick sat the distraught Evy down on the couch. She still had a grip on his shirt, but he pushed her back slightly and began to wipe the tears from her streaked face. "What's wrong, Evy?" At that, she looked as if she might start the torrent all over again, but instead fell back into his arms and held onto him even tighter. Rick let her lie there, rocking her gently, wishing he knew what was wrong so he could go kill whoever had done it to her. Eventually, she began to speak. Softly, so that Rick almost had to strain to hear the words. 

"I've been having dreams...nightmares, actually. Almost every night, and sometimes during the day...Imhotep is always there-he-he... He's going on about curses and death and sacrifices, and he's walking toward me and I'm trapped, in a corner...but suddenly you're there, you leap in front of me, you fight-with Imhotep-and he...he...." She bit back a sob. "He kills you. Every time, a different way. And I'm paralyzed, I can't move, I can't go to you...every time it gets a little longer, it gets a little more real..." This time she could not contain the tears. "I'm so sorry, Rick, I-" 

"Evelyn, sorry for what? You haven't done anything," Rick said, trying to sound reassuring. "It was just a dream, it isn't real." 

"But it feels real! It feels like I'm really there...and you're so cold, you... And then he comes for me. I don't know what happens, but I feel like I'm floating away..." Evelyn didn't continue. She was exhausted; she felt like she couldn't go on any longer. She felt herself drifting off, waking with a start when she realized that she was falling asleep. But then she remembered that she was with Rick, she was in his arms, she was safe. She heard him whisper faintly, "I'll never let anything hurt you, Evy," before she succumbed and enjoyed the first dreamless sleep she'd had in days. 

Evy woke early the next morning, neck in a cramp from sleeping on Rick's couch. What must he think of her now? How embarrassing! She had completely fallen apart. Not to mention what others might think if they saw her creeping out of his bedroom in the early morning hours. It certainly wasn't proper for her to be spending the night on the same couch, though she supposed it hadn't exactly been proper to be wrapped up in his arms under those desert stars, either... 

She tried to extract herself from his embrace without waking him, but the task proved impossible. Apparently he was a very light sleeper. Rick opened his eyes, slightly surprised to see her there, but then remembering what had happened the night before. "Are you okay?" he asked immediately. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but otherwise she appeared to be fine. "Wonderful," she said. "All better, really. I was just...it was just too much. I guess I just needed to get it out." 

Rick could tell she was telling the truth, although it still worried him that she could have gotten so upset. He wondered if she'd be plagued by those nightmares for the rest of her life...and he also knew that if that happened he would be there every night to hold her, to tell her it was only a dream. He desperately wanted to make everything right, to rid her of those nightmares. "You know I'll always be here for you, right?" he asked, wanting to make sure she understood. 

"I know," she whispered. "But I really probably should leave, it's getting light out already."

Rick grinned. "You're right, what would people think?" he teased. 

"What would Jonathan think?" she laughed. "He's very protective, you know." 

"You're his little sister, of course he's protective."

Evy didn't hesitate this time. "Do you remember your sister?"

Seventeen years had passed. Rick felt as though he should have been able to move past it by now, but the pain still felt fresh. He would always remember the feeling of being ten years old, all alone on the streets of Cairo, helplessly calling his mother's name as she slipped from his grasp and into the churning crowd. Someone had yanked him up above the mass of bodies, holding him high above the mob and depositing him on a random doorstep. He was not afraid. The stranger had to hold him back from leaping into the fray to find his mother, his father, his sister. All lost in the stampeding mass of panicked citizens, leaving a little boy with nothing in the world but himself and his courage. It was a hell of a beginning to a biography, and Rick had always wondered how different his life would have been if he'd had a family. If he'd grown up in America, if all he'd known of Africa was through his sister's letters and postcards. 

"Rick?"

"Sorry. I was thinking."

"I'm sorry, Rick, I didn't mean to pry-"

"No, no, it's just...hard."

"I really do need to go get ready for work. If you want to talk later..."

Rick kissed her briefly. Now he knew what would have happened. He never would have met Evelyn. "I'll see you when you get home?"

Evy kissed him back. "I'll try not to stay late. Although heaven knows what delightful duties Dr. Miller will have waiting for me today." 

Dr. Miller was indeed waiting for her in the library that morning, pacing back and forth in between the piles of books, occasionally tripping over a stray, kicking it aside and continuing on his floor-wearing path. Evelyn tip-toed into the library, hoping he wasn't around, but soon after her entrance he leapt out from behind a bookcase and waved an accusing finger in her face. "What do you know about Hamunaptra?" he bellowed furiously. 

After recovering from the double shock of Dr. Miller's sudden appearance and the unexpected question, she asked fearfully, "What do you mean?" 

"I mean, I know about Hamunaptra," he growled viciously. "That idiot curator told me all about it-"

"Curator? Who-"

"Well," he laughed, "I guess I should say he wrote me."

"Dr. Bey's papers," Evy breathed, panicking. Dr. Miller had backed her into a corner by now, and she was getting scared. What was he going to do to her? She knew Rick wasn't going to magically appear this time, she was going to have to rescue herself...

***

Okay, so I admit this chapter is a little short but it needed to be chaptered (is that a word?) this way. Just wait 'til Chapter 7, though, it's a doozy...hee hee hee...keep reviewing...and, sorry, won't have a computer 'til late Saturday, so I'll update again then (I love to tease you guys:)


	7. Longing

Am SO SORRY it took me so long, midterms are hell and my computer is acting up!!! Aaargh! 

Anyway, I do believe that this is my favorite chapter. You'll just die...hee hee hee...

Chapter 7

Longing

Evelyn managed to get off a short, stifled laugh. "Oh, Dr. Miller. You mean Dr. Bey's stories?"

He looked momentarily confused, but regained his composure, or what was left of it, and replied, "I mean his journal, correspondence, everything. I know about you, and the Medjai, and the Hom Dai. You might as well give it up."

This time her laugh was better acted, and she managed to sound quite amused at the whole situation. "Dr. Bey writes--I mean, well, wrote--fiction. He was working on a novel, based on the legend of Hamunaptra. He didn't believe in it anymore than I do." Or did, she thought to herself. 

Dr. Miller was not swayed. "You can't fool me. Why would he use your names? You and your brother Jonathan, and that idiot O'Connell!"

Evy bristled at the insult toward her betrothed, but managed to keep her voice steady. "Dr. Bey was having trouble coming up with characters for his story, so I suggested that he use real life people. I'm in it?" she asked, trying to sound innocent and curious. The hell she wasn't a good liar! 

Knowing that Evelyn was anything but innocent, Dr. Miller still looked at her suspiciously, though he'd backed off a bit. "The papers weren't all together."

"Oh, that's just Dr. Bey," she said, pretending to sigh at fond memories. "He was always a bit messy when it came to his office. He couldn't keep up with himself, his mind always going this way and that." Her features screwed up slightly. "We all miss him so terribly. I can't imagine how it must feel to have to fill the shoes of such a great man." Evy bit her lip, more to keep from laughing than out of any desire to cry. 

He considered this for a moment, wondering if the librarian was insulting him or not, then turned on his heel and barked out, "I want this library clean by the time you leave today! No matter how long it takes!"

Evelyn sighed. It seemed like ages ago since she had heard those words, or nearly those words. In a sense, it had been ages. She was a different person now. She'd never be what she once was, the shy scholar with no one in the world but her trouble-making brother and her silent books to keep her company. In a sense, she had become two people. Evelyn and Rick. It scared her, to think that she might become that dependent on another person. 

But it also made her feel alive. 

Rick knocked on Jonathan's door a few hours later, hoping against hope that his future brother-in-law was sober this time. It would make the conversation a lot easier. He didn't know what Jonathan did with his days, but he didn't seem to be in a hurry to get back to any kind of a job. And who was Rick to talk, anyway? 

It took a few minutes of pounding before Jonathan swung the door open, staring bleary-eyed out into the bright sunlight. As he focused on O'Connell he said irritably, "What the hell are you doing here, O'Connell, it's six o'clock in the morning!"  
"It's almost noon."

"Oh," Jonathan said after looking at his watch. He retreated back into the room, rubbing his temples. 

"Late night?" Rick asked. 

"Not as late as you two lovebirds, I'm sure. The Fort is awash with gossip about you two." 

"What kind of gossip?"

"Gossip that Evy wouldn't want to hear, so I'm not going to repeat it. God, my head!" He fumbled to open the medicine cabinet, but, finding it empty, settled for a forgotten bottle of whiskey resting precariously on the toilet seat. Rick snatched it out of his hands and steered Jonathan out of the bathroom. "There's something I need to tell you. Well, ask you."

"Shoot," Jonathan said. "Metaphorically!" he added quickly. 

"How would you feel about me marrying your sister?"

Jonathan spun around so fast that he caught his toe on the rug and ended up in a heap on the ground. He was definitely Evelyn's brother. "What? Well, hell, O'Connell, that's great!" he sputtered as he picked himself up. "So it was true, what they've been saying."

"What have 'they' been saying?"

"That Rick O'Connell's gone soft."

He danced out of Rick's reach just in time. "Just kidding, O'Connell, for goodness sake-"

Jonathan went flying again. His fall was not due in any part to Rick, but rather, caused by the very same rug that had felled him moments before. "Damn carpet!" Jonathan cried, still on the floor. "I don't know why I even have the damned thing, it just gets in my way."

"Then move it." Ever the voice of reason. 

"You're bloody right I'll move it, I'll move it right through the window!" Jonathan struggled to his feet, the rug crushed in his arms. As he moved forward he stumbled again, barely managing to keep his balance this time. "Bloody hell-"

"Maybe this should be a lesson for you." 

"Yeah, in what?" Jonathan suddenly seemed distracted. He was staring at the floor.

"Like life is a whole lot easier when you're not hung over all the time."

Jonathan's face lit up. "And life is a hell of a lot easier when you're rich, too!"

What? Maybe Jonathan was still drunk, Rick thought as he watched the Englishman throw the rug aside and begin to pry at a floorboard. "What the hell-" he began, but was interrupted by the excited speech of Jonathan. 

"I'm so stupid! What a horrible place to hide treasure! I've never used this spot before, that's why I couldn't remember where I'd put it! I knew I wasn't hallucinating!" The floorboard began to come loose. Rick knelt down to help, more to humor Jonathan than anything else. 

They pulled the board away and stared, dumbstruck, down at the magnificent pile of gold. 

By the time Evelyn had managed to get most of the books into neat, somewhat organized stacks, it was nearly eight o'clock in the evening. How had time gone by so quickly, she wondered? Rick must be wondering what happened to her. She didn't normally stay this late--

"Evelyn?" Rick crept into the shadowy library. He held his gun in front of him, but quickly put it away once he realized that she wasn't dead or maimed or kidnapped. 

"Rick!" she cried. "What are you doing here?" Finally, a bright spot to her day. Well, night. 

"Jonathan and I have been worried sick about you."

How sweet! "I'm so sorry. Dr. Miller practically ordered me to get this place clean by the time I left, and I just lost track of time." 

Rick's face darkened at the mention of the curator. "You shouldn't stay so late, it's dangerous at night."

"The museum's locked up at five, it's fairly secure--wait a minute. How did you get in?"

Rick looked sheepish. "I found a way."

"You didn't destroy anything, did you?"

"No!...I don't think. Anyway, I don't want you walking back all by yourself at night. Cairo isn't exactly safe, even during the day."

Evy was torn between being flattered that he was concerned for her safety and being indignant that he thought she couldn't take care of herself. Being Evelyn, she chose the latter. "And who are you to tell me that, O'Connell? I walk those streets every night, I don't need your protection all the time." 

The expression on his face was one of hurt. "Well, we'll just have to do something about that."

"What? What do you mean?" 

Rick pulled Evy closer, the look of hurt gone. "I'm saying, maybe when I'm actually your husband you might obey me every once in a while."

"Fat chance," she shot back. 

He smiled. "Which part?"

"What do you mean which part?"

"Let's get married."

"I thought we'd established that last night."

"No, I mean let's get married _now_."

"It's eight o'clock in the evening." 

"Not _now_, now, I mean...soon."

"How soon?"

"How soon do you want?"

Evy thought for a moment, to torture him. "Well, there's invitations, and a dress, and you'll need a tuxedo, and we'll need a hall and a church and a cake-" Rick looked pained. "What? You don't want cake?" she teased. 

"Whatever you want." 

"Rick, I..." What did she want? She didn't want to rush into anything--what was she saying? She'd already agreed to marry a man she'd only known for two weeks, how much more hasty could you get? "A month," she said, sounding a bit more determined than she felt. 

"A month?" 

"Yes, a month. A good, round number."

"Now I see why you weren't any good at math. A month isn't a number, darling." 

Before she could protest he kissed her. She _hated_ it when he did that! When Rick broke away (Evelyn hated that, too), he pulled something wrapped in a cloth out of his jacket. "I need to show you something." 

"What's that?" she asked. The cloth fell away to reveal a four inch high statue of the god Anubis. They sold them at the museum gift shop, hundreds of them. Why was Rick showing it to her? Then she noticed how the light glinted off the golden surface, the weight, the tiny hieroglyphics etched across the headdress...my God, this was real! "Where did you get this?" she breathed. 

"If you agree to go home I might tell you."

"It was getting late anyway. So where's it from?"

"Actually, I think I'd better _show_ you."

Evy grabbed her sweater and had began to follow Rick out of the library when Dr. Miller strode in once again, pushing the doors open with such force that they hit the walls with a loud clatter. Rick quickly slipped the statue in his back pocket. Evy thought maybe Dr. Miller had seen, and she was quite sure that she didn't want him knowing anything about that statue. He gave no indication that anything was amiss, though, and simply barked, "Why isn't the library clean yet?"

"I've been working all day, Dr. Miller-"

"And I thought I told you-"

"Ms. Carnahan and I have a prior commitment, sir," Rick interrupted, oozing fake politeness. "Besides, it's after hours. We wouldn't want something happening to her walking home by herself so late at night, would we?" Rick took Evelyn's hand and pulled her after him out of the room. She could practically hear Dr. Miller's unspoken fuming as they slipped past him and walked quickly out of the Museum. 

By the time they reached Jonathan's apartment Evelyn felt as though she might burst from curiosity. Rick had kept his mouth shut, save for a few choice words about a certain curator. "It'll be much better as a surprise," he insisted. 

Jonathan met them in the hallway. He seemed positively giddy as he drug Evy through the doorway. The only thing that got Jonathan that animated was--

Treasure. Gold. Jewels. Spread out across the bed, spilling onto the nightstand and across the desk. Tiny trinkets lined with precious stones, solid gold figurines, shiny bracelets and necklaces, more coins than Evelyn had ever seen in her life. Everything was small, but each piece alone must be worth-

"Evy?" "Evelyn?"

She was speechless. For once, Evelyn Carnahan was absolutely, totally, at a loss for words. Rick seemed to notice this and decided to fill in the details. "It seems my buddy Beni left us a little surprise in the saddlebags. When your brother found it, he got drunk and hid it, and then he couldn't remember where he'd put it."

"And you thought I was delusional!" Jonathan cried happily. "How wrong you were, old chap!"

"Indeed," Evelyn whispered. "My God, what a find. The Museum will-"

"The Museum?!" Jonathan was panic-stricken. "If you think for one moment that I'm going to let a museum have _my_ treasure-"

"Oh, would you calm down, Jonathan! I was going to say that the British Museum would no doubt pay dearly to have this. Not to mention private collectors-" 

"We're rich!" Jonathan exclaimed, fears assuaged. "We'll never have to worry about money again!" 

Evelyn eyed her brother accusingly. "You wouldn't be worrying right now if you hadn't drunk away your trust fund." But Jonathan's spirits were not dampened in the slightest. He grabbed Evy's hands and spun her around, and by the end of it neither Rick nor Evy could help but join in his joyous laughter. 

They'd decided, much to Jonathan's dismay, that his hands were probably not the most secure place to keep the treasure. (As Rick had put it, "I'd trust you with my life, Jonathan. But not with my treasure.") Evy suggested the safe in her room. It was one of the few things she'd kept from her father's Cairo study. Hers and Jonathan's childhood drawings still sat in it, undisturbed since the day her father had placed them there. She thought most of the treasure would probably fit in it, and not even Jonathan knew the combination. 

Rick helped her carry it into her room, then moved slowly to the door. She followed him, and they stood there, in the threshold, neither of them speaking. Evelyn didn't quite know why, all she knew was that she didn't want to leave this moment. 

It was obvious that Rick didn't want it to end either. The silence stretched between them, but neither one felt uncomfortable. Rick took the time to study the angel in front of him. How could any one person be so perfect? How could someone like her love him? He was her antithesis, her complete opposite. They were both quite stubborn, he amended, but usually that didn't help a relationship any. 

Evelyn's thoughts were running along much the same lines. How on earth had she been so lucky as to find this man? She felt as though she had been given some precious gift, and every time she looked into his eyes her heart leapt with pure joy. And for that matter, what kind of a miracle was it that he loved her back? 

"I suppose we should say goodnight now," he said, quietly, deeply, almost hoping that she wouldn't hear him. 

"I suppose." She paused, fingering the buttons on his shirt. "Nice buttons." 

Rick smiled. "Thanks. Jonathan picked this shirt out." 

"Way to ruin the mood, O'Connell."

He raised his eyebrows. "Mood? I wasn't aware of any mood, Carnahan." 

Evelyn laughed. Rick loved to hear her laugh. It bubbled out of her slender throat, glittering in the night air as her delicate breaths crystallized in the cold. They stood so close that the clouds of breath blended together, slowly curling up and out into nothing. "Well, if you feel that way," she started--

As the kiss went on the clouds of breath slowly melted into the atmosphere, dissipating until there was nothing left but the cold, clear air. Nothing left but two lovers caught up in a single moment. But then, something was wrong. Stabbing pains, blasting through his head like gunshots, ringing in his ears. With a slight cry Rick broke away from Evelyn, clutching his head. 

Evelyn was startled, to say the least. What was wrong? What had she done? Rick stumbled away from her, grabbing for purchase on a tabletop, losing his hold and crashing to the floor. His head was about to explode, then...

Nothing. Peace. 

Evelyn reached for Rick as he stood, but he swatted her away and turned to the opposite wall. "Rick? Rick, what's wrong?" she said timidly, reaching for him again. Then he spun around, his eyes strangely blank. He said something in ancient Egyptian... Rick didn't know any ancient Egyptian, Evy thought frantically, before her mind wrapped around the words...

_...It is time to make you mine...for all eternity..._

Then he collapsed again, body falling completely limp as he dropped to the ground. 

Because Evy was not exactly strong enough to move Rick anywhere, he remained on the floor until he came to a few minutes later. "What--what happened?" he stuttered. He remembered...kissing Evelyn, then the most unbearable pain tearing through his skull... 

"You passed out," she said quietly.

Slightly embarrassed at that rather obvious fact, he said, "Yeah, but...before that. My head..."

"You don't remember?" Concern furrowed her brow, but she was thinking about something else. "You don't remember what you said to me?" 

"All I remember is this horrible pain in my head, and then...nothing."

Before Evy had a chance to reply, there was a knock at the door. In her mind a picture of Imhotep flashed, but that was ridiculous. She wasn't dreaming. 

At the door stood three policemen. One of them said something in Arabic, but as they pulled Rick off the floor and away and out of the apartment, Evelyn was too distraught to translate. 

It was most certainly _not_ a dream. 

It was a nightmare. 

***

Hmm...when will I update next?...as always, keep reviewing...can't wait to see what you think of this one...


	8. Wishing

He he...um, apologies...if you have complaints about how long it took me to update, take it up with my professors...midterms are afoot!

Anyway, no, it's not a dream, sorry...whatever will they do now?!?! [insert dramatic music]

Chapter 8

Wishing

It took all of Evy's strength not to faint when she saw him through the bars. It broke her heart, to see him in such a state. A bloody gash sliced across his left temple, and his striking blue eyes had lost their sparkle. He looked so sad. Evy couldn't ever remember seeing him so exhausted, even after Hamunaptra. She nearly ran the rest of the distance across the courtyard, stopping short when she reached the cell. His eyes lit up slightly when he saw her coming, but they still seemed so cold...distant. 

"Evelyn, what are you doing here?" Rick tried to look disapproving, but once again his eyes betrayed him. He was glad she was there, he had to be. 

"I had to see you," she whispered. 

"You didn't come alone, did you? This place is dangerous."

"No, no, Jonathan is just behind me."

"Good." 

"What did they do to your head?" She reached for the injury but he pulled back. Rick could tell that upset her, so he took her hand instead, wrapping her small one in both of his. God, it felt good to hold her hand again. "Nothing," he replied. "It's nothing." He didn't want her know how bad the injury was. He couldn't tell her that his head throbbed so badly that he could barely see her straight. 

"Well it doesn't look like nothing, Rick, it looks like it needs stitches." Her voice shook slightly, but it wasn't because she was about to cry. She was furious. How could this have happened? It wasn't fair! They'd just found each other, and now he'd been taken away from her. Evelyn wasn't going to let it happen. She was going to take control of her own life, for once. 

"I'm going to get you out of here," she said, to convince not only him but herself, as well. "By the way...why exactly are you here?" It occurred to her that she didn't know what the charges were, but she tried not to let it dampen her resolve. 

"I don't know, they still won't tell me. The warden said something about stealing, I think, but he was speaking in Arabic, I couldn't really hear over the-"

"Stealing? What did you steal?"

He pulled his hands away. "I didn't steal anything!" he said sharply. 

The wounded expression on Evelyn's face looked as if it rivaled the pain of Rick's injury. He regretted his words immediately, though he'd just been defending himself. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her any more than he had already. She didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve her. He knew he had to tell her to turn around, to walk out of the prison, to forget about him. If his previous experiences had been any indication, proving his innocence in the Cairo court system would take forever. Cairo Prison was not exactly the ideal place to spend an eternity, and Rick knew the chances of a foreigner with a previous record getting out alive for a second time were slim. 

But he couldn't get the words past his lips. For once, his knack for saying the wrong thing failed him. All he could say was, "I love you." 

Evelyn's face crumbled. This wasn't happening! She had to be strong. She wasn't going to cry again. If she started, she knew she wouldn't ever stop. She wanted to stay strong for Rick, she had to. She leaned through the bars and kissed him gently. They were both reminded of another day, another cell, another kiss. This one was different, softer, not to mention that it was a mutual embrace this time around. And yet, somehow it hadn't changed. Evelyn felt the same chill run down her spine, her stomach flipped, her lips burned. She'd been in love with him since he'd kissed her, that first time. She was determined not to let the bitter irony get the best of the situation. 

Rick pulled back slightly, and took her hand once more, fumbling in his pocket. While Jonathan had been busy showing Evy the treasure, Rick had noticed the ring and quietly slipped it out of the stash, planning to give it to Evy later, as a belated engagement ring. It was perfect. The center stone had reminded him of her personality--fiery, full of life. He still wanted her to know that he loved her, to remind her of him when he was gone. He needed her to remember him. 

Evelyn looked down at the ring that he slipped on her finger. Tiny aquamarine stones lined the edges, the shining gold of the center strip interrupted by a single, dazzling diamond. It had come from Hamunaptra, she knew. Her scholar's mind couldn't help but analyze it while her heart was busy breaking into a million pieces. 

"Remember me, Evelyn. Please. Just remember." His head cleared as he memorized her face one final time. 

She looked up again as the guards took him away, shoving him back through the door and out of Evelyn's sight, forever. "I can't live without you," she whispered. It was then, only then, that she allowed herself to cry. 

It was two days before she would even let Jonathan in her room. As a last resort, he'd tried to break the door down. Oh, he knew he'd never succeed, but he also knew it would make her pay attention to him, and maybe get a little laugh out of her. 

Wrong. All it did was remind her of Rick. 

Everything reminded her of Rick. Everywhere she turned his face jumped out of the crowd. Hieroglyphics seemed to spell nothing but his name. When she tried to sleep, she saw his eyes, distant and lifeless, their icy vibrancy replaced by nothing. Just nothing. Even the stars seemed to have lost their sparkle. The black night made her shiver. Daytime was even worse. Bright sunlight tried to force its way into her room, but she shut the curtains tight and tried to block out the world. 

Unfortunately, Jonathan would not take no for an answer. When she finally answered his cries (mainly due to the pain in his arm from trying to break her door down), he simply sat with her. It felt good, just to have someone there. After a few hours, though, Jonathan got antsy. "Evy?" he asked, quietly. She didn't answer. "Evy?" he tried again. "Are you hungry?" She shook her head. No. "Don't you want to go take a walk, or something?" No. "We could see a picture, maybe? I'll take you to dinner. I'll pay this time, I swear." This drew a small smile, but still the answer was no. They sank once again into a companionable silence. Jonathan chided himself for wanting to leave. It broke his heart to see his baby sister so devastated. He'd practically carried her from the prison. He'd heard the crying through the door, late at night. Great, wracking sobs, so violent that Jonathan had seriously considered fetching a locksmith. Instead, he'd come up with the bloody "knock down the door" plan, and was now wishing like hell for a brandy to dull the pain. But he wouldn't leave her. He couldn't. 

Jonathan almost missed Evy's first words, he'd become so absorbed in his own thoughts. "Jonathan," she said, barely audible. "Why did this happen?" 

Jonathan racked his brain. What did she want him to tell her? Was there anything he could possibly say to make her feel better? He remembered when their parents had died, three years ago, and she had asked him the very same question. At the time he had mumbled something incoherent about fate and God and the natural order of things, and now he found he still hadn't come up with a better answer. So instead, he settled on the most ambiguous thing he could think of. 

"I don't know, Evy." What a stupid thing to say! 

"You know, I keep thinking...I mean, it happened so fast. So suddenly. Maybe it was that way because we were only meant to have a short time together. Maybe that's why I loved him so much."

"Love, Evy," he reminded her. "Not loved." 

Her eyes welled with tears, but they didn't break the dam. "Oh, Jonathan. What am I going to do? I can't just leave him there! They said he won't go to court for a month! We don't even know what he's accused of! What if he never gets out? What if he..."

Speech finished, the tears came. Jonathan felt his own eyes grow misty, not out of any sort of love for O'Connell, but for his sister. His poor, sweet baby sister was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. 

"The lawyer said he'd take care of it, Evy," Jonathan said, trying to sound reassuring. "He was fairly confident that they'd dismiss the charges, I told you that."

She didn't say anything else. Jonathan knew what she was thinking. What he was thinking, and what O'Connell was certainly thinking, too. An extended stay in that place was not exactly conducive to one's health. The death sentence that was Cairo Prison was not kind to the guilty...and even more cruel to the innocent. Jonathan made a silent vow, and simply squeezed his sister's hand as they cried together. 

Another three days passed before Evelyn felt like she could through most of the day without breaking down completely, and she'd decided to go to work to get her mind off it. She had spent most of the morning sniffling, sitting on the floor in the library, pretending to catalogue the new shipment but really only staring at her ring finger. The shimmering blue stones looked exactly like Rick's eyes when he laughed. They twinkled happily at her, winking a mischievously, dancing in the lights. She wanted so badly to look into those eyes again, to caress his face, know that he was still there. But Jonathan had insisted very firmly that she couldn't go to the prison again. He told her she wouldn't like what she saw, and she knew it. She called the lawyer they'd hired every day, dreading any sort of news. Nothing came. The only thing for it was to wait, and pray. And oh, she prayed. 

She heard footsteps in the hall, and leapt up, hoping for a crushing, irrational moment that they might belong to Rick. Instead, Dr. Miller entered the library, clutching a stack of papers in his hand, a scowl contorting his long face. Good Lord, what had she done now? Evelyn thought. Dr. Miller shoved the papers into her hands, snarling, "More filing." 

Evy nodded, not wanting to get into another confrontation with him. She began to turn away, but Dr. Miller noticed the handkerchief in her other hand. "Something wrong?" he asked viciously, eyeing her red nose and tired features. 

"Allergies," she replied just as coldly. Damned if she was going to let him see her cry. Evelyn felt a rage rising in her throat, pushing against the tears that so desperately wanted out. 

"Oh, that friend of yours, O'Donnell," he said, as if it was just a passing thought. 

"O'Connell," she interrupted curtly. "Rick O'Connell." 

"Right, right. So has he confessed?"

She looked at the curator blankly. "What? Confessed to what?"

He appeared to be just as confused. "What do you mean, what?"  
"What did you do?" she said, slowly, deliberately. "What did you do to Rick?"

Dr. Miller still looked vaguely confused. "What did _I _do? What was I supposed to do? That man is dangerous, Evelyn. I did some checking, and it seems that he deserted from the Legion a few years back. Litany of previous charges, too. It seemed like the thing to do, I didn't want any problems, what with him wandering around the museum lately-"

"It was you," she said quietly. "It was you." Her boss was still bewildered by her behavior. What was the big deal? That man deserved to go to jail, not be allowed to hang around delicate girls like Evelyn. Dr. Miller had half hoped she'd be grateful to him for ridding her of such a scoundrel. Instead, Evelyn turned on her heel, went into her office, and started stuffing papers into her bag. 

"What are you doing?"

"I quit."

"Excuse me?"

"Look, Dr. Miller, I know you're new at this job, so let me give you a little helpful hint," she hissed. "Employees generally resent it when you send their fiancés to jail." 

"Fiancé?" he asked, incredulous. "You're engaged to that man?" 

"Not that it's any of your business," she said, her voice rising, "but yes! And as soon as he's out of there we're getting out of Cairo. Screw the Benbridge scholars! If the rest of them are anything like you I don't want any part of it!" Evelyn was slightly shocked at her own outburst, but continued to empty the paltry contents of her desk into her purse. 

Dr. Miller came around the edge of the desk, advancing on her. "Evelyn-" 

"_Don't_ call me Evelyn." Yanking a stack of books off the desk, she wobbled under their weight as she stalked out the door. He followed her, grabbing her roughly by the arm, and the stack of books slipped from her grasp. Most of them landed painfully on Evelyn's foot, causing her to drop the purse, too. Dr. Miller still had her by the arms, he was shaking her. Evelyn began to feel faint. 

"You're wrong, you know, Evelyn. The rest of them aren't like me. They'll never give your application a second glance, I guarantee that. But I might be willing to make..." he paused menacingly... "_certain arrangements _that might change their minds." 

Evelyn's head dropped to her chest, then it snapped back up, her eyes flashing. A growl emanated from her mouth: _"Do not hurt her. I still need her." _She shoved Dr. Miller back into the bookshelf with a force that would have jarred his bones, if he'd been conscious. His head hit the shelf with a sharp crack, and he crumpled to the floor, a few books clunking unceremoniously on his head from the impact. Evelyn grabbed her purse off the floor, gathered her books, gave Dr. Miller a swift kick as she passed his unconscious form, and continued confidently on her way. 

They found her just outside the library doors, books scattered, struggling to breathe as she lay on the hard marble floor. 

****

Ooohh...suspense. Will be slightly longer in between updates because I'm having a bit of trouble with the conclusion...[slowly chips away at writer's block] And, as always, keep reviewing...


	9. Hoping

Finally! Ardeth shows up! Told you so! 

Chapter 9

Hoping

Ah, Cairo. 

Land of a thousand mysteries, a thousand secrets. Where anything you wanted was for sale and there were at least a dozen illegal ways to get it for free. The people were many and varied, and they came from all nationalities, all walks of life, all ethical standpoints. At night the air crackled with danger, while during the day the heat was oppressive and cruel. Ah, the sights, the sounds, the...smells. 

Ardeth covered his nose as he made his way through the crowded streets, suddenly remembering why he preferred the desert over the city. He would have sent someone else, but something told him this was far too important. He was needed here. 

Citizens parted before him as the warrior strode through the crowd, laying a protective hand on the firearm at his side whenever someone got too close. The man who was quite possibly the inspiration for the phrase "tall, dark and handsome" was not anti-social, per se, it was more that he was...focused. He had a sacred mission, and whoever he had to kill to get it done was just going to have to accept his unfortunate place in the grand scheme of things. No, being anti-social had nothing to do with it. 

Great strides had been made in this department with O'Connell and the Carnahans, Ardeth felt. He was not especially fond of Jonathan and his...ways, but he had a great respect for the girl's intelligence (no matter what Dr. Bey had said), and he might even make a grudging admission that O'Connell could beat him in a fair fight. Add it all up, it might spell the beginning of a friendship. 

All this, however, depended on if any of them were even still alive. The gnawing feeling in the pit of Ardeth's stomach unsettled him. Something was horribly wrong, and he prayed that his new friends were not in the middle of it. 

Unfortunately, he already knew Evelyn well enough to know that if anyone was likely to get herself into the middle of a calamity involving the undead, it was her. 

Nearly a week had passed, but Rick was unaware of it. He couldn't keep track of the days, because otherwise he went crazy. It drove him mad not knowing what was happening outside the prison walls. What was happening inside was nearly as bad. He could take care of himself, sure, but he didn't know for how long. He'd heard whisperings about a hanging, and the way the guards grew silent when they caught him listening did not convey hope to Rick. The new warden didn't like him. He'd be dead in a week, and they both knew it. 

Every morning Rick prayed that he had woken from some horrible nightmare. He couldn't believe this was reality. To escape death at the hands of the hangman once and fall desperately in love with your savior, only to be ripped away to face the executioner once more? That wasn't the way it was supposed to work. Rick had never believed in fate. He couldn't think it was fate that his family could be killed, that he could spend his childhood in an orphanage, that his life could be so directionless, so purposeless. He hadn't believed in fate until he'd met Evelyn, 'til he'd help bring about a 3,000 year old curse and then lay it to rest again. After all that, he couldn't believe this was the end. If he had, he'd already be dead. They'd all be dead. Now, the tiny thread of hope he clung to was tightening around his neck, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Fate was mocking Rick O'Connell. 

It was strange, entering the Museum, knowing that he'd never see him again. Recovering his body from the Cairo authorities, who thought they were dealing with a rather gruesome mugging, had taken quite a bit of doing, especially since he'd been a prominent member of the community. They'd lost a valuable contact within the Museum, and Ardeth only hoped they could eventually get another Medjai into the position. There was no one near qualified to take it on, wouldn't be for several years. Perhaps the girl could be their contact, keeping an eye on potential problems...although by what his cousin had told him, she was sometimes essentially a problem in and of herself. 

Ardeth encountered only a feeble old security guard (who'd promptly turned and run the other direction) on the way to the office. He caught himself before reaching for the familiar door handle, and knocked instead. No response came. He knocked again, and this time, a whiny "What?" emanated faintly from the confines of the office. Ardeth opened the door and found a lanky, somewhat disheveled looking older man, slouching miserably in the chair across the desk. He held an ice pack to the back of his head, and he squinted his eyes up at the visitor suspiciously. "Who are you?" he asked irritably. "If you're from the dig, I've already told your supervisor we can't pay you any more."

"You are the new curator."

"Dr. Daniel Miller. And you would be?"

"Forgive me, Dr. Miller, but is your head all right?"

Dr. Miller shot Ardeth a dagger-tipped glare. "What do you want?"

"I am looking for your librarian."

His frown intensified as he spat, "We have no librarian. She quit this afternoon, good riddance." 

"She quit?" How would he find them now? "Do you know where I might find her?" 

"I suggest you stay away from her, if you don't want a head wound." He removed the ice pack and fingered the back of his skull gingerly. 

Ardeth fought back a smile. Evelyn must be stronger than he'd thought. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. I was a friend of Dr. Bey's."

For some reason Dr. Miller straightened up, interest piqued. "Wait a minute-you're not-"

"I suggest that if you-" 

"Bey!" Dr. Miller cried, leaping from his chair. "Bey! It's you!" The man was dancing around behind the desk as if he'd been struck by lightning.

"What-" 

"What do you know about Hamunaptra?! Tell me where it is, or I swear I'll-"

The punch came so fast that later, Dr. Miller was unsure it had even happened. 

It had taken nearly an hour of searching, but eventually Ardeth had found Evelyn's address tucked away in a file cabinet in the corner of his old friend's office. Her file was fatter than most of the others, charting everything from knocking over priceless artifacts to something about flooding the basement. Ardeth decided, wisely, never to mention it. 

Gaining entrance to the fort was only a minor aggravation, as people tended not to ask a lot of questions around Ardeth. He knocked firmly on what he thought was Evy's door. He heard a bit of scuffling inside, then the door cracked slightly open. 

"Oh, it's you," Evelyn said, startled to see the warrior on her doorstep. 

"Hello, Ms. Carnahan."

"Call me Evelyn. I never got your name."

"My name is Ardeth Bey. I suppose I never introduced myself."

"Yes, well, that was understandable. Fighting undead mummies and all that." Evelyn smiled slightly, but it was fleeting. She opened the door wide and retreated back into the room. 

"Where is O'Connell?" Ardeth asked. "I need to talk with him." 

Ardeth Bey was not used to dealing with any sort of emotion. Therefore, when Evelyn's lip began to tremble and she looked as though she might break into tears, he was a bit unprepared. He was even more unprepared when she suddenly started shouting, pacing across the room and waving her hands in the air like a madwoman. 

"Dr. Miller had him arrested! Can you imagine! He did a background check on Rick, and found out about him deserting the Legion. Just to keep Rick away from me, I think, isn't _that_ ironic! They didn't like each other from the start, I knew that, but I never imagined Dr. Miller would do something so underhanded! It almost makes me miss Dr. Bey! Oh--I mean--sorry..." 

"Where is he?" 

"He's in jail! They put him in jail!" She sat down heavily, gripping the edges of the chair 'til her knuckles turned white. "Rick's in jail, Ardeth. They took him away."

"I am sorry." Sympathy was not exactly his strong suit, either. 

"Why are you here?" she asked with trepidation. 

"A woman in our village had a vision. Unfortunately, she is nearly always right."

"Imhotep is here, isn't he?" Evy asked quietly. 

"That was what she saw, yes. She believes he has come to Cairo."

"I've been having dreams," she said, haltingly. "Imhotep comes and kills Rick."

Ardeth waited for her to continue. "And?"

"And that's it! Imhotep comes toward me, and then, nothing."

"Are you sure you're not just..." Ardeth struggled to find the words. "...upset by your experiences-"

"I'm sure! Something's happening to us! Rick passed out the other day, and he said something in ancient Egyptian, and today...I don't know, maybe it's nothing. I was talking to Dr. Miller in the library, and then suddenly I wake up on the floor outside, and he's back in the library, unconscious. I don't know what happened!" 

"He did seem to be in quite a lot of pain. I thought perhaps you had something to do with it." Ardeth couldn't hide his smile. 

Evelyn's eyes widened. "I don't know what happened!" she repeated. "He's been bugging me about Hamunaptra, he said he-" her tone switched from defensive to antagonistic as she rose from her chair- "and could you tell me exactly why Dr. Bey kept papers in his office pertaining to the Medjai?! Dr. Miller knew all about it!" 

Before Ardeth could defend the departed curator, the door swung open and Jonathan bounced cheerily into the room. He stopped short when he saw the Medjai, giving him a terse, "Oh, it's you," before kneeling down in front of Evelyn and taking her hands. "Evy, I've done something, and I hope you aren't upset with me."

"What, Jonathan?" she said suspiciously, as if she needed more to be upset about. 

"Well, I've given away some of my treasure."

Evy sat down again, too tired to protest too loudly. "What did you do?" 

"It was for a good cause, don't worry," Jonathan reassured his sister. 

"Jonathan, you probably got ripped off."

"Perhaps, but it's my treasure, and I can decide what to do with it."

Evy had a sudden thought. "How did you get into the safe?" 

"Give me a little credit, Evy!" Jonathan exclaimed. 

"You broke into my safe!" she protested, anger building. 

"Come on now, I'm sure you won't object when you see what I've traded for it..." 

***

Woo hoo, how exciting. R&R, as always...


	10. Believing

Don't kill me! So incredibly sorry this took so long!!! See, the rest of the story hinges on Chapter 10, and was having trouble with 11 and 12, so I spent a lot of time rewriting, and I couldn't post 10 until I knew I didn't need to rewrite it...But just had a brilliant flash so hopefully my writer's block will go *poof* in the near future...Also having massive trouble with writing fight scenes...any tips?

Chapter 10

Believing

"We can get it back, if you want," a voice said from beyond the doorway. 

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. She must be dreaming again. The voice couldn't be real, it couldn't be. She willed herself to wake up; she couldn't bring herself to trust her own ears. "I'd probably have to go back to prison, though," the voice continued. 

He stepped through the doorway, saw her sitting there with Jonathan. Ardeth's presence didn't even register. She looked so frail, so sad. 

Evelyn stood, unwilling to believe it. If she did, she'd just be disappointed when she woke from this dream. "Rick?" she said quietly. "Is it really you?" 

"It's me, Evelyn," he answered. 

They stayed like that for a moment, neither one moving, then Evy began to walk across the room again. Rick met her halfway, and swept her into a hug, holding her so tightly Evelyn felt her bones might break. She didn't mind. She didn't care, as long as Rick was alive, as long as he was here. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, pressing kisses into her hair, forehead, lips, everywhere. "I'm so sorry."

"Never do that again, okay?" Evelyn smiled. He smiled too, his teeth white against the beard that now shadowed his face. "Is your head all right?" she asked, fingering the bandage above his eye. 

"It's fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine. Are you fine?"

"_Now_ I'm fine. How did you get out? The lawyer said-"

"The lawyer doesn't deserve to get paid. Jonathan's the one I owe. He gave the warden some of the treasure in exchange for my release."

"Oh, Jonathan!" Evy cried, beginning to tear up again. "How can we ever-"

"Don't worry about it, old mum. Never been more glad to give away money," Jonathan said with a lopsided grin. His baby sister was all that mattered, not gold, not jewels, not an unlimited supply of wine, women and song...well, maybe he was just a _little _sorry. 

Ardeth stood, clearing his throat. "Oh, it's you," Rick said curtly. "Is something wrong?"

What a welcome! Maybe they weren't so fond of him, after all. "The Creature has risen," he said simply.

"How?" Rick said with alarm. Ardeth thought he saw Rick clutch Evelyn even tighter, if that was possible. 

"We do not know. The city has not been disturbed. There have been no reported sightings of him. But Evelyn has informed me that she has been dreaming of him, and that you have both collapsed-"

"What?" Rick asked Evelyn, tuning out Ardeth's exposition*. "Are you okay? What happened?" Where Ardeth had expected to hear protest against O'Connell's own moment of weakness, he instead heard concern for Evelyn. He'd known that he cared for the woman, that had been obvious. But as he watched the pair converse quietly, he realized that O'Connell was in love with her. An odd sense of deja vu came over Ardeth as he watched them.** He shook it off, however, impatient to deal with the matter at hand. 

"Are you sure you're all right?" Rick asked Evelyn for the third time, after she'd explained her fainting incident. "He didn't hurt you?"

"No, it was the other way around."

"I knew you had a mean right hook."

"Well, I had a good teacher."

Ardeth cleared his throat again. He felt like shouting, "The evil undead has risen! This is not the time for flirting!" He resisted the temptation, however, and continued, "We must find a way to stop the Creature, before it is too late."

"No, uh-uh!" Rick protested. "We're having nothing to do with it! That's _your_ job, remember?" 

"This cannot be coincidence, O'Connell! You're in this whether you like it or not!" Ardeth replied angrily. 

"The last time Evelyn almost got sacrificed! I'm not going to put her in that kind of danger again!"

"We are _all_ in danger, O'Connell! If we do not stop the Creature..." 

Tired of their squabbling, Evelyn sighed and rolled her eyes as Rick and Ardeth continued to argue. A chill passed over Rick as Evelyn left his side and went to join her brother. Rick's senses went haywire as he watched her hug Jonathan. He tuned Ardeth out. Something was off. Evelyn looked Rick in the eye from across the room, and he saw nothing there. Something was terribly wrong. Evelyn was gone. Her eyes were empty. 

His bizarre suspicion was confirmed a moment later when Evelyn suddenly backed away from Jonathan, brandishing his gun. "Hey!" her brother protested, but she shoved the barrel in his face and he shut up quickly. 

"Evelyn?" Rick asked timidly. She was gone, he could feel it. What was happening?

A resonating chuckle boomed uncharacteristically out of Evelyn's mouth. _"Ha! Soon Nefertiri will be but a memory. She does not deserve to live. Not after what she did to us."_

"It is the Creature," Ardeth whispered. He reached for his gun but Rick stepped between them, giving him a look that told Ardeth he would soon follow Imhotep to hell if he hurt Evelyn in any way. Evelyn, however, seemed oblivious to Ardeth's murderous intent. Her attention was focused completely on Rick. 

_"I always knew you would get in my way,"_ she continued in ancient Egyptian._ "I should have killed you when I had the chance."_

"What's she saying?" Rick asked Jonathan.

"Uh-uh-I don't know," he sputtered. "Something about a--um, death, death to the--death to the bunnies! Death to the bunnies, that's it!" 

"Somehow I get the feeling that's _not_ it!"

_"Foolish Medjai,"_ Evelyn's newly deep voice snarled. _"You will not stop me this time."_

"Um, Medjai?" Jonathan faltered. "You will not--you will not stop me?" he translated clumsily. 

_"You and Nefertiri deserve each other. Never have I met two more misguided souls. How the two of _you _defeated me I have no idea."_

"Uh, uh, I know that one! Souls! Souls!"

"And the rest?" Ardeth asked impatiently. 

"I think I caught--Nefertiri, wasn't she, wasn't she a princess or something?" 

_"Now I will have my revenge. You and your sweet Nefertiri will pay. Catch, Medjai!"_ With that, Evelyn slowly removed her engagement ring from her finger and tossed it at Rick. His quick reflexes snatched it out of the air without a second thought.

Suddenly Evelyn shook her head and sank gracefully to a sitting position on the floor. She looked down at the gun in her hand and flinched. 

"Oh, God, I didn't shoot anyone, did I?" she asked fearfully. 

"It's okay, Evy," Rick said carefully. "Just give me the gun and everything will be fine." He walked slowly toward Evelyn, ready to take the gun by force if necessary. 

"Rick, I...I don't know what happened."

"Shh, it's not your fault. It's okay. Just give me the gun."

"Oh." Evelyn looked down at her hand, still clutching Jonathan's gun, as if she had forgotten it was there. "Of course." She unclenched her fingers and handed the gun to Rick. 

He took it and calmly pointed it straight at Evelyn's head. 

------

*Hee hee. Those of you who have watched the director's commentary for TMR will get this:)

**Of course, referring to the fact that this isn't the first go round at the game we call life for any of these characters:) Hmm, perhaps the subject of a future fanfic (hint, hint)...

You know how I love reviews...Let me know if it made sense:)


	11. Realizing

Just to let you guys know, you have no idea how much I appreciate your reviews. They make me very very happy:)

Chapter 11

Realizing

"Rick?" Evelyn's voice shook as she slowly stood. Ardeth had to hold her back. "It is not him," he told the trembling Evelyn. "The Creature has possessed him." Ardeth reached for his gun again, but Rick swung his aim to Ardeth and the movement stopped. They stood frozen in that morbid tableau for a moment, time seeming to stop with a sickening crunch as Evelyn realized what was happening.

_"What poetic justice,"_ Rick growled. _"The princess dying at the hands of her beloved Medjai."_

"What?" Jonathan asked. "Medjai? You mean Ardeth?" 

Rick was in there somewhere, Evelyn knew it. A man with her lover's face was holding a gun to her head, but she wouldn't believe it. It couldn't end like this, not after everything they'd gone through. She could get through to him, she had to. 

"Rick," she tried again. "Look at me, it's Evelyn. Please, just look at me!" 

_Evelyn? Evelyn, where are you?_...

_"With your death, Anck-su-namun shall live!"_ The unfamiliar words came out of Rick's mouth; it was Rick's voice. But the icy edge of his words betrayed his identity. Rick's hands trembled slightly as the gun moved once again to Evelyn. He didn't pull the trigger. 

"Rick!" Evelyn cried, growing desperate. "Rick, please, no...You can't kill me, Rick, you can't. Please, where are you?" 

_Evelyn! Evelyn, answer me! Is that you?_

His finger tightened around the trigger as Evelyn's eyes began to well up. She closed her eyes. She couldn't watch him do it. "I love you, Rick," she whispered. 

_He tumbled endlessly through an indigo fog, grasping at sounds he couldn't quite hear. Everything seemed to be at the very edge of his consciousness. He could feel cold steel just barely pressed against his fingertips, vibrating, just waiting to explode in a brilliant mass of color and light. If only he could move his limbs..._

But then, another sensation. Panic, horror, desolation, they came rushing in all at once and paralyzed his trigger finger. She was dying, and he couldn't reach her. He willed his lips to move, to call out, but the terror froze his voice. Everything was maddeningly out of focus. He knew she was there, he could feel her as if she were a extension of him, but every time he blinked, the fog invaded his eyes and muddled his sight. 

Something else was there, too. Its essence penetrated the indigo fog and repelled the light that gently floated around their bodies. It wrapped its lifeless form around his hands, ripping from him what little control he still had over himself. It was going to kill her. It was sucking the life out of her, and it was using him to do it. He_ was going to kill her. _

_No!!! Get away from her, you- _

Rick suddenly clutched his head as if in pain, and Ardeth seized the opportunity. He launched himself across the room and into Rick's side, sending them both to the floor and the gun skittering out the door. Ardeth got in a few punches before Rick seemed to regain control and shoved Ardeth off him, scrambling four-legged across the floor toward the gun. With no thought in his head except to protect his sister, Jonathan threw himself on top of Rick, soon regretting it when he found himself tossed haphazardly across the room like a rag doll. "I'm never doing you another favor, O'Connell," he muttered as he picked himself up. 

The slight distraction of Jonathan, however, was enough, and soon Rick found himself backed up against the wall with Ardeth's scimitar held dangerously close to his throat. _"Go ahead, Medjai,"_ he growled fiercely. _"You would kill your own brother? I commend you for your courage."_

"You would kill your own brother," Evy interpreted. "What does he mean?"

Her translation was enough to cause Ardeth to hesitate momentarily. Mistake! Rick took the split second of indecision and seized Ardeth's arm. They struggled for a moment, but Imhotep's paranormal muscle quickly overcame the warrior and he found himself shoved against the far wall, sending him tumbling into Evy and Jonathan. 

"Rick!!!" Evy called desperately. She had to try one last time. "Rick, where are you?!" 

_A tiny pinprick of light, piercing the indigo fog. He grabbed at it blindly. _

As they cowered there in the corner, Rick paused in his stride and shook his head slightly. 

Suddenly he yanked the ring off his finger and flung it aside. He looked up, again, into Evelyn's eyes. It was him! It was him! 

"Evy, no!" Jonathan protested as she struggled out of his grip. "It's him, it's Rick!" she insisted. "Let me go!" 

Rick, still a little dazed, barely managed to keep his balance as Evelyn flew into his arms. "What--what happened?" he stammered, still disoriented. "Did I hurt you? I heard you, I heard you calling me..." 

"You heard me?" Evy asked. "I didn't think I was getting through to you!"

"I just knew you were in danger. I knew he was trying to hurt you. It was almost too much, he...God, Evy, I'm sorry I tried to kill you. Forgive me?" Rick asked. 

"Always," she said with a smile. 

"Excuse me for interrupting," said Ardeth, "but I think we should focus on the Creature!"

"He's nuts," Rick said, struggling to remember. "He's gone over the edge." 

"You think?" Ardeth snapped sarcastically. 

"I mean, he's not thinking straight. I could hear him, I...He thinks that killing Evelyn will bring that broad back somehow." 

"He can't do that now," Evy interrupted. "Right? He needs the Book to do that!"

They all turned expectantly to Ardeth. "Don't look at me!" he cried. "I'm not the one who keeps raising the dead!" 

"Well, it wasn't me!" said Evy. This earned her a few looks as well. "This time, at least," she finished quietly. 

"I suppose he could just kill Evy and harvest her organs to take back to Hamunaptra so he can perform the ritual again," Jonathan offered.* 

A full minute passed in which the other three just stared at Jonathan. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Just trying to be helpful." 

"Maybe he just wants revenge," Evy offered. "Or-"

_"I think revenge is too simple a term for it, Princess,"_ Dr. Miller interrupted. 

They stared at the disheveled man who stood in the door frame, their eyes locked on the forgotten gun that he held in his right hand. But Evelyn was focused on his other hand, hanging loosely at his side...

He wore the ring. 

----

*I think I remember reading that the reason Imhotep needed a human sacrifice was for the organs, so that's where Jonathan's suggestion comes from. I don't know, maybe Jonathan's wrong, he's just trying to be helpful:) I love Jonathan. John Hannah is hot!!! Just so you know, he rocks in 'Sliding Doors.' "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition"!!! Okay, I'm done with my John Hannah tangent. Sorry about that. Hee hee:)

Do I even have to say it? Review, please:)))

Some quick answers to questions and comments made by some of my fabulous, lovely reviewers:

No worries, Lady Foxfire, I don't make idle hints. The fanfic I was alluding to does indeed exist, tentatively titled "The Cost of a Glance"...in fact, in this chapter I made a few past-life references that will show up in that story...something to look forward to:)...

LOL, Tigerwolf...Glad to know someone out there is getting the Buffy jokes (i.e., the entire running gag of the bunnies:) Honestly, when I wrote "Bloody Hell" and the flooding the basement thing, I wasn't referencing Buffy, but now that you bring it up...I think my subconscious knew exactly what it was doing;)

Craklyn...wow...I've been threatened by a fan...my career has been validated!!! love ya!!!

MBooker (appreciate your reviews so so much, thank you thank you thank you) and anyone else who was wondering...in the TMR director's commentary, they talk about how Ardeth went from pretty sparse dialogue in TM to non-stop exposition in the sequel...it's true, he suddenly gets very talkative:) Dang, Oded Fehr is hot too...and Arnold Vosloo...and Brendan Fraser...I'd like to thank the casting director:)


	12. Breathing

Call off the dogs!!! Chapter 12 has arrived!!! Wouldn't you rather it be good and not rushed??? I'm sorry, okay?!? **_I'm sorry_** !!!!!!!!!!!

Note: See, the _italic sections _represent the unconscious mind, which is different from the "indigo fog" of the previous chapter, which is more like the space between life and death. The standard type is normal time, still in Evelyn's apartment. Enjoy:)

Chapter 12

"Breathing"

or

"How Many Times Has Dr. Miller Been Knocked Out, Anyway?" :)

Evelyn realized something, and did what any sensible woman would do in her place.

She fainted.

---

_She awoke in her own bed to see the sun had long since disappeared below the sandy horizon. The room was cloaked in darkness, but she could just make out the outline of a man standing before the window, the moonlight glinting slightly off his body. "Rick?" she called. He didn't answer. She reached over to click the bedside lamp on, and when she turned back toward the window, the figure was no longer there. _

---

When Evelyn fell, the only one to react right away was Rick. He spun around to catch her, lowering her gently to the ground. Dr. Miller's eyes narrowed viciously. His mouth was twisted into an ugly grimace that almost looked painful. _"Stand up,"_ he snarled. _"Leave the Princess be."_

"Evelyn," Rick whispered as her shook her. "Evelyn, honey, wake up..."

_"Get up,"_ Dr. Miller tried again as he strode over to the men and aimed the gun at Rick's head. Jonathan looked terrified beyond words, and Ardeth just stood there, fingers itching for a weapon, waiting to see what the Creature would do next. Rick slowly stood, raising his hands helplessly in the air. 

A noise, a scuffle, behind them. 

A shot. 

---

_Suddenly he appeared beside her, sitting on the bed. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear and murmured, "Oh, Princess, why did things have to end this way?"_

"How should I know?"

His mouth smiled, but his eyes remained impassive. "I keep forgetting that you don't remember. Eh-vellen. Is that what they call you now?" 

"What do you want from us?"

"Oh, Princess," he said again. "I never wanted to hurt you. Neither did she."

"She tried to kill me." 

"Love makes us do foolish things. As we speak, your beloved fights for you, too. They should know it's futile. They can't win against me."

"You know killing me will not bring her back."

His eyes hardened, and he stood suddenly. He pulled Evelyn off the bed and threw her forcefully to the ground. "I will kill you all," he hissed. 

---

_"Interesting weapon,"_ Dr. Miller mused. _"I see why you favor it."_

They stared in shock at the pair of feet that lay unmoving in the doorway. The look of complete astonishment on the poor dead man's face would have been comical if not for the gaping hole in his chest. The blood was already beginning to trickle in the room, soaking the carpet and the now lifeless leather shoes. _"A bit messy, though,"_ Dr. Miller continued, still studying the firearm as if it fascinated him. Rick took advantage of Dr. Miller's preoccupation with the gun and landed a punch to his jaw. Dr. Miller staggered back, but recovered shortly and returned the blow. 

---

_When Evelyn looked up after hitting the ground she spotted Dr. Miller. He cowered in the corner, running nervous fingers through his hair, glancing furtively around the room. "Can't catch me," he mumbled. "You can't catch me. Evelyn, hello! Have you come to visit me?" His eyes lit up, but dimmed when he spotted Imhotep, who had once again taken his place by the window. _

"Your beloved is going to do something stupid," Imhotep told her. "He never was a smart one." 

"What's happening?" she asked anxiously. She had to do something! "What's going on?" 

"We'll fight, he'll die," Imhotep said simply. "Even with this meager excuse for a body-" he nodded in Dr. Miller's direction- "my strength will overpower him. I don't know why he's even trying." He grimaced at something only he could see. "Oh, that has to hurt. I think I heard something snap." 

---

With a vicious cry, Ardeth swung his scimitar at Dr. Miller's throat, but the curator's reflexes were too quick and he leapt just in time. He lunged viciously at Ardeth's stomach, knocking the warrior to the ground. Rick immediately stepped into the fight, but before he could react, Dr. Miller remembered the gun in his hand and pulled the trigger. 

---

__

Imhotep started to laugh. "Whoever invented this 'gun' was brilliant. Say goodbye to your lover, Eh-vellen."

---

Dr. Miller looked confusedly at the handgun as it clicked harmlessly. _"What's wrong?"_ he asked. _"What'd I do?"_

"I only like to keep one bullet in it," Jonathan said sheepishly. As Rick advanced on Dr. Miller again, he silently thanked the Lord that Jonathan was a complete idiot...

---

__

"No!!!" Evelyn stood and launched herself at Imhotep. He was so startled at the sudden movement that when her fist connected with his jaw it took him a moment to react.

---

_"Fool,"_ Dr. Miller growled at Rick. He threw the gun to the side. _"I-"_

Then he staggered back slightly as if someone had hit him and brought a hand up to his jaw. _"My, my, the Princess has quite an arm,"_ he said, then dashed out of the way again as Rick swung. 

---

__

Imhotep had his hands around her throat now. Her eyes flew wildly to Dr. Miller, but he just smiled dreamily and continued to study the floor. Little black dots danced at the edge of her vision...

---

Jonathan sunk to his sister's side as the three other men continued to throw punches at each other. The still unconscious Evelyn began letting out strangled little gasps as if it was difficult for her to breathe. 

---

_"Goodbye, Nefertiri," Imhotep sighed, as if it pained him to have to do this. "See you in the Underworld."_

Evelyn closed her eyes...

----

Damn. I'm just evil;) Review, and I promise I'll write faster:)


	13. Screaming

Okay, so being the evil writer that I am, I actually _was_ going to kill Evy temporarily, but then I thought I should do some research and found out that they didn't invent CPR until the 1950s. Interesting, huh? Also, it's occurred to me that perhaps I should clear something up. Evy was able to access Imhotep in her subconscious because of her past life, and, remember, she'd already been having those dreams. Just suddenly felt the need to explain that. 

Anyway, on with the story...;) 

Chapter 13

Screaming

_She could feel the cold hardwood floor beneath her, hands on her arms, slapping her face, shaking her. An indigo fog crept slowly around her eyes, obscuring her vision. She blinked furiously, willing her eyes to focus..._

-----

"EVY!!!" Jonathan screamed. "WAKE UP!!!"

With a great gasp, Evelyn's eyes flew open. She was immediately wracked by a coughing fit, sucking air in greedily as her brother hugged her gratefully. 

-----

_Imhotep looked around the room in puzzlement. Where had she gone? One moment he was strangling the princess, the next moment, she'd vanished. Oh, well...she was still going to die. They were all going to die. He closed his eyes and concentrated on controlling Dr. Miller's increasingly resistant body..._

-----

Dr. Miller's body was obviously giving out. Despite the help of Imhotep's supernatural strength, he was clearly weakening with the beating he was taking. He seemed to be having trouble controlling his limbs. 

__

"You will not win!" Dr. Miller screeched. He was becoming more distraught as the seconds passed. _"I will kill you all!"_

After this frightening proclamation, it was a bit of a letdown when Dr. Miller suddenly turned, stumbled over the dead body, and hightailed it down the hallway. 

"Evelyn!" After Dr. Miller's anticlimactic exit Rick went immediately to his fiancé and helped her still shaking form to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"He was there... while I was unconscious," she mumbled, still recovering from the experience. "So was Dr. Miller...he was a wreck. He's not resisting Imhotep at all."

"His mind is not strong enough to defeat the Creature," said Ardeth. "We must retrieve the ring and destroy it, or there's no telling what he might do."

Evelyn caught sight of the body in the doorway and nearly fainted again. She clutched Rick's arm for support. "Who--" she stuttered, "who is that?"

Jonathan bravely crept toward the body. "It's the warden!" he cried. "The new warden! And look!" He rolled the body over cautiously and pried a rucksack from the man's dead fingers. "It's the treasure I traded him! Come to steal the rest from me, I reckon. Serves him right!" 

The rest were too tired to scold Jonathan for this callous observation. "We must follow the Creature," Ardeth declared. "Where would he go?" 

"He doesn't know the city," Evelyn offered. "He'll probably have to rely on Dr. Miller's mind to know where he's going."

It hit all of them at once. "The museum!" they shouted, and raced out the door. 

Evelyn was silent on the car ride over. "Hey," Rick nudged her. "You okay?"

"No!" she cried, then fell silent again. 

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No! An immortal flesh-eater just tried to strangle me in my sleep, I am most certainly _not_ okay!" 

"Sorry!" Rick cried defensively. After a few more moments of hostile silence, Evelyn couldn't stand it anymore. "Rick, I'm sorry," she whispered, keeping her voice down so Ardeth and Jonathan in the front seat couldn't hear her. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I'm sorry, too, Evy. I've come so close to losing you so many times in the past week I've lost count. If anything happened to you--"

"We're going to be okay, Rick. Everything's going to be fine."

"What do you say, after this is all over, we skip the whole mummy thing for a while and settle down into a nice, boring life together?" Rick asked with a smile. 

"Somehow I doubt life with you will ever be boring." 

Seconds later...

"Hey!" Jonathan protested from the driver's seat. "Stop that, you two! I can hear the smacking!" 

Evelyn suppressed a giggle, despite the dire situation. Rick silently mouthed, "I love you," and they clutched each other's hands for reassurance as the car raced toward the museum. 

A little bald head peeked warily over the upturned chair. A pair of watchful eyes, surrounded by unruly tufts of white hair, saw four frantic pairs of hands pounding on the double doors that denied them admittance to the museum. Just as Bob was about to venture from his hiding place and see what the hands wanted, the earsplitting blast of a gunshot pierced the air. The doors flew open and the four pairs of hands were revealed to be Evelyn, her brother, another man Bob didn't recognize, and that scary man all in black who'd always visited Dr. Bey. "You-you shot the door!" Bob cried in shock. "You're not supposed to do that!"

"Bob!" Evelyn cried. "Where is Dr. Miller?"

"I, I, I don't know," the old man replied shakily. "He came through here a while ago, r-rambling about k-killing someone, and tore everything apart, and then he disappeared. He's gone crazy!"

"Told you so," Rick muttered. Then, louder, "Which direction did he go?"

"Ah, yah, I th-think he might be in his office."

As the group moved toward the stairs, Rick pulled Evy aside. "Take this," he said, pressing a shotgun into her hands. "And stay behind me."

"I'm not a child, Rick, I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't even be giving this to you considering your track record with firearms." 

Evelyn gave him an irritated "ooh," and tried to move past him, but Rick had latched onto her arm. "Just be careful, okay?" he told her. 

"Aren't I always?" 

Rick rolled his eyes and pulled her back to the group, who had by now reached the top of the stairs. They came to the door of Dr. Miller's office, Ardeth and Rick on either side, Evy, Jonathan, and a terrified Bob significantly further down the hall. Rick nodded and Ardeth flung the door open, and they both leapt into the room, guns drawn...

Dr. Miller, however, was nowhere to be found. "He's not here," Rick announced to the others. They all stepped in the room cautiously and looked in every corner for the curator, just to be sure. "We'll have to search the entire museum." 

"We'll need the keys," said Evelyn. "They'll be in the cabinet, I'll get them." 

"Evy, it's not safe-"

"It's ten feet away, Rick, I'll be fine!" 

Evy scurried down the hallway before Rick could stop her and opened the door to the closet. She'd just plucked the set of keys from the wall when she suddenly felt an icy hand grip her shoulder...

---

Famous last words, eh? Anyway, the next chapter will be the last in this particular plot line. Don't worry, there will be something new posted shortly as well:) I'm writing as fast as I can!!!:)


	14. Soaring

The quotes Rick and Evy trade are attributed, respectively, to Jacques Bénigne Bossuel and H.L. Mencken. I almost expected them to pull a Satine and Christian routine and start singing, but I resisted that temptation:) 

Angel-4-Ever (formerly Tigerwolf, I know who you are!:), the smacking line _was_ a "Something Blue" reference, but also a reference to dorm life (mithwith, I tried to put the zippers in but thought it inappropriate for a pg-13 fic...;) 

Enjoy the conclusion:)...

Chapter 14

Soaring

Before Evelyn quite knew quite what she was doing, she whirled around and squeezed the trigger of the shotgun she'd forgotten she held. The close range impact of the bullet threw Dr. Miller back and away from her, though she'd only caught him in the shoulder. Panicked, Evelyn streaked past the curator and back down the hallway from whence she'd come. "Rick! Rick, he's here!!" 

Rick appeared in the doorway of the office in an instant. Dr. Miller was stubbornly pursuing Evelyn despite his injured shoulder. _"Get back here, Princess,"_ he hissed. Rick yanked Evelyn through the door and began to close it just as Dr. Miller reached them. The curator managed to sneak his hand through the door before it shut, howling in pain as Rick slammed it on his bloodied fingers. Without thinking, Evelyn seized the curator's hand and pried the cursed ring off his finger. She flung the ring into the fireplace, where it landed in the center of the conveniently lit fire. A bright blue flame immediately rocketed up through the gold band, lifting it momentarily from the ashes before it settled back down into the heart of the sputtering fire. 

"What the hell is a fire doing lit at this time of day?" asked Rick. 

"I get cold," Bob mumbled, still a bit shook up. "My joints..."

"Bless you, Bob!" Evelyn cried. "Bless your poor circulation!" 

A very disheveled Dr. Miller practically fell into the room, trying to staunch the blood that ran freely from his shoulder. "Whad happen..." he mumbled. "Where hem I...Ooh, fire pretty..." 

All was silent for a precious second as they contemplated the sparkling cerulean fire. Then, with a burst of chilling wind, a shimmering blue chariot burst out of the wall behind the fireplace. The savage howl of a tortured soul filled their eardrums as the driver swooped down and snatched the ring from the ashes, while Imhotep's spirit struggled to free itself from the ring's bondage. Brandishing its prize, the driver headed straight for the opposite wall, where Evelyn and Dr. Miller stood. Rick dove without a second thought and wrenched Evelyn out of the path of the rampaging chariot. Unfortunately, no one made any such daring save for the curator. The chariot ripped viciously through Dr. Miller's body, the force sending him hurtling backward and through the French doors. As if in slow motion, the windowpanes shattered with the deafening tinkle of a million pieces of glass hitting the ground in a spectacular splatter. His body landed with a nauseating crash on the balcony. The last of the glass fell to the ground with a soft clatter, and all was silent. 

The five survivors peeked cautiously through the empty space. Before anyone could stop her, Evy stepped through the splintered doorway. Dr. Miller lay miserably across the fractured remnants of glass, tiny rivulets of blood trickling around the pieces of shattered windowpane. He caught side of Evelyn standing above him, and managed to smile slightly. 

Despite her better judgment she sank to her knees beside Dr. Miller, and he clutched at her hand as a drowning man clutches at a straw. "You've got my vote, Ms. Carnahan," he whispered through gritted teeth. His grip on her hand loosened, and as Jonathan pulled her away from the body, she cried for him. Evelyn was quite sure that no one else would. 

By the time they'd gotten back to Evelyn's apartment, the body of the warden was long gone and so was Evelyn's blood-soaked rug. In fact, Evelyn was hard pressed to find any sort of evidence that there'd been a murder there at all. She supposed she had the Medjai to thank for that, though none could be found anywhere nearby. Even Ardeth had disappeared back at the museum with a short, "It was nice to see you all again." He had then ushered them out the back door, assuring them that the Medjai would take care of everything with the police. _Two curators dispatched in less than a month_, Evelyn thought ironically. _One might think I was after their job!_

This thought struck the sleep-deprived Evelyn as hysterically funny, though her companions thought her apparently unprovoked glee to be quite inappropriate for the situation. "You're all nuts," muttered Jonathan. "I'll be off drinking myself to sleep if anyone needs me." 

Neither Rick nor Evy protested this time as Jonathan left. "Are you okay?" Rick asked as soon as they were alone. "Zealous laughter is hardly what I'd expect after a day like this."

"I'm sorry. I think I'm just exhausted."

"Tell me about it," Rick agreed. 

"Rick," said Evelyn, turning serious, "I have to say something."

"Yeah?"

"Listen, I...I had doubts about us. At the beginning. Not just normal jitters, I mean, big time, earth shattering _doubts_."

"Gee, thanks." 

"No, you've got to let me finish. It just seemed too good to be true. I couldn't believe that what I'd found was for real. I was so afraid that it was all a dream, that you'd leave...It scared me."

"Scared me, too," he admitted. 

"But then you were taken away, and since that moment it's never entered my mind that you might leave me by choice. That you didn't love me. I've never been more sure of anything else in my entire life. You taught me to listen to my heart instead of my mind for once." 

"'The heart has reasons that reason does not understand,'" replied Rick with a smile. 

"'Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence,'" countered Evelyn. 

"Look, this...I mean, you and me...it may be crazy, but...it's right. I know it's right. I love you, Evy."

"I love you too, Rick."

And just when the lovers thought they could finally enjoy a good kiss without being interrupted...

Ardeth tapped Rick on the shoulder, causing both Rick and Evy to jump a few feet in the air. As soon as the startled pair realized that the intruder was the Medjai and not an undead mummy, Evelyn quickly enveloped the surprised Ardeth in a tight hug. "Thank you, Ardeth," she said. 

"I am sorry if I startled you. I came to say goodbye."

Rick offered his hand, which Ardeth shook. "Well, Ardeth, buddy, it's never dull when you're around, I'll give you that."

"We really do have to stop meeting like this," Ardeth replied, with a completely straight face. 

Rick and Evy tried, but after a few seconds they couldn't hold their laughter in. "Did you just make a joke?" Rick asked incredulously. 

Ardeth looked at him strangely. "No." 

"Oh..."

A seemingly awkward silence reigned for a few moments. Then Ardeth broke into a wide grin. "I think I have a future in comedy, wouldn't you say?"

Laughing again, Rick said jokingly, "Remind me never to play poker with you." 

"I am sorry to leave so quickly," Ardeth continued, "but I must be getting back to the tribe."

"Have a safe journey," offered Evelyn. 

"Maybe the next time we see you there won't be any mummies involved?" asked Rick hopefully. 

"I hope so. I am sure we will meet again."

"Hey, why don't you come to the wedding?"

"Wedding?" asked Ardeth. 

"Rick and I are getting married!" Evelyn informed him. 

"When?"

"Just a minute." Rick turned to Evelyn. "Doing anything a week from Saturday?"

"Hmm, I don't think so. April sixth, then?"

"April sixth it is!" announced Rick. "See you then?" he asked Ardeth. 

"I will try. Congratulations, my friends. I am sure Allah will smile upon the both of you."

"Thank you, Ardeth." 

With that the desert warrior turned and faded away into the sinking light. Yes, he thought, as he snuck a glance back at the happy couple, by now completely oblivious to their Medjai friend and everything else around them...perhaps there was a friendship shaping up there after all...

---

FIN...POUR MAINTENANT:)

Well, we've come to the end of this particular story arc. I do hope y'all enjoyed it. Eventually there will come a sequel, as Rick and Evy try to put the past behind them and start a new life together. There are still many unanswered questions and fabulous ideas floating around in my head! (Also, just a note: there is, indeed, a fire place in Dr. Bey's office. I checked:)

Without further ado, however, y'all should head over to my newly posted story "**The Cost of a Glance**," the beginning of my epic take on the ancient love story:) It's a fabulous, tragic tale of intrigue, romance, and deception, as Ardeth helps Rick and Evy discover the truth behind Nefertiri's ancient legend. Go read it!!! Please?:)

Many thanks to all of my loyal reviewers, especially MBooker, LadyFoxFire, JessC, Seletha, Kim, Vic, Whitney, katie_janeway, cracklyn, Angel-4-Ever/Tigerwolf, kmac, marrokinhas, Shelby, Deana, Evie of the Nile, EvyOConnell, oconnellsmummygirl, Max452, charon 19, KatG, Dylan, Linser-42, mithwith (finally!:) and everyone else who ever reviewed or I mistakenly forgot, thank you so much and I love you all!!!


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